THE 

International   Revision  Commentary 

ON   THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 


By  British  and  American  Scholars  and  Revisers.    Edited 
by  PHILIP  SCHAFF,  D.  D. 


I.    THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  ST.  M\TTHEW.    By  Philip  Schaff, 

D.  D.    One  volume.    IGmo.     With  a  Map.    $1.25,    Now  Ready. 
II.    THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  MARK.      By  Professor   Matthew  B. 

Riddle.    One  volume.    IGmo.     With  a  Map.    $1.00.    Now  Ready. 
III.    THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  LUKE.     By  Professor  Matthew  B, 
Riddle.    One  volume.     IGmo.    $1.25.     Now  Ready. 
V.    THE  ACTS  OF  THE  APOSTLES.    By  Dean  Howson  and  Canon  Spence. 
One  volume.    IGmo.    With  a  Map.    $1.25,    Just  Published. 


This  is  the  only  commentary  upon  the  Revised  Version  of  the  New  Testament.  The  Revised 
Version  is  based  upon  a  much  older  and  purer  text  than  the  Old  Version,  and  corrects  several 
thousand  errors  of  the  latter ;  this  makes  it  the  best  basis  for  a  commentary. 

The  International  Revision  Commentary  contains  the  latest  and  best  evangelical  criticism  and 
explanation   of  the  sacred  text,   and  is  especially   adapted   for   Sundny   School   use. 

It  is  brief,  clear  and  suggestive,  and  according  to  the  general  verdict,  the  volumes  that  have 
appeared  are  the  cheapest  and  best  single  commentaries  on  the  Gospels  and  Acts  in  the  English 
language. 


THE 


lElAlML  if«  COiilffl 


NEW  TESTAMENT 

Based  upon  the  Retised  Vehsion  of  1881 
BY 

ENGLISH    AND    AMERICAN    SCHOLARS 

AND  MEMBERS  OF  THE  EEVISION  COMMITTEE. 
v^DITED  BY 

PHILIP  SCHAFF,  D.D,  LL.D. 

Professor  of  Sacred  Literature  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  of  New  York 
President  of  the  American  Committee  on  Revision. 

Vol.  V. 
THE  ACTS  OF  THE  APOSTLES. 

By  J.  S.  HOWSOX,  D.  D.,  and  H.  D.  M.  SPEXCE,  M.  A. 


NEW   YORK 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 

1883 


Copyright  1882,  By 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS. 

{All  Hights  Reserved.) 


GRANT,  FAIRES  &  RODGERS, 
PHILADELPHIA. 


THE 


ACTS  OF  THE  APOSTLES 


EXPLAINED  BY 

/ 

J.  S.  HOWSO]^,  D.D. 

Dean  of  Chester 
AND 

H.  D.  M.  SPEKCE,  M.A. 

Vicar  and  Rural  Dean  of  SL  Pancras,  London 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBXER'S  SONS 

1883 


I 


f  pr 


PEEEAGE. 


This  volume  on  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  is  an  abridgment 
and  an  adaptation  of  the  Illustrated  Commentary  of  Dean 
HowsON  and  Canon  Spexce  to  the  Revised  Version,  with 
additions  by  the  editor.  The  additions  include  the  Intro- 
duction, several  Excursuses,  the  Practical  Notes  and  Textua 
Comments.  They  have  been  indicated  by  a  star(*),  and  in 
the  case  of  the  Textual  Comments,  commence  at  the  star 
and  extend  to  the  conclusion  of  the  explanations  upon  the 
particular  words  being  explained  In  a  few  instances  brack- 
ets have  been  used.  Some  changes  have  also  been  made 
in  the  sections,  in  order  to  conform  them  to  the  para- 
graph   divisions    of  the   Eevised  Version. 

The  general  plan  pursued  in  the  other  volumes  of  the 
iNTERisrATioxAL  Eevisiox  COMMENTARY  series  has  been 
followed  in  this  one.  The  more  recent  literature  and 
commentaries  upon  the  Acts  have  been  consulted  in  its 
preparation  cs  well    as  some  of   the  older  works. 

D.  Schley  Schaff. 


INTEODUOTION. 


The  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  * 

I.  The  Contents.  TLe  Acts  of  the  Apostles  is  an  account  of 
the  conflicts  and  conquests  of  Christianity  from  the  ascension  of 
our  Lord  to  the  imprisonment  of  Paul  in  the  city  of  Rome  (33-63 
A.  D.).  It  is  the  earliest  manual  of  Charch  History,  and  the  only 
one  treating  of  the  age  of  the  Apostles  which  has  come  down  to  us 
from  the  first  century.  Its  loss  would  leave  a  wide  chasm  between 
the  Gospels  and  the  Epistles,  and  involve  the  student  in  great  igno- 
rance of  the  progress  of  events  in  the  history  of  the  Church  during 
the  period  intervening  between  the  close  of  our  Lord's  earthly  ac- 
tivity and  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  (70  a.  d.),  which  the  direct 
statements  and  the  implications  of  the  Epistles  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment and  the  Apocalypse  would  only  partially  illumine.  He,  in  this 
case,  would  know  nothing  of  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  testimony  and  death  of  Stephen,  the  con- 
version of  Cornelius,  the  miraculous  manifestation  making  Saul  a 
Christian,  or  the  stages  in  the  advance  of  the  Church  from  Jerusalem 
to  Rome  and  other  occurrences  hardly  less  important. 

The  Acts  is  a  practical  commentary  upon  the  words  of  the  Saviour 
to  the  disciples  just  before  his  ascension,  '  Ye  shall  be  my  witnesses 
both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judaea  and  Samaria,  and  unto  the 
uttermost  part  of  the  earth  '(1:8).  It  portrays  the  silent  but  vigo- 
rous and  conquering  progress  of  the  Gospel  from  the  upper  chamber 
in  Jerusalem  to  the  world's  centres  of  population  and  commerce, 
and  finally  to  Rome  itself. 

The  relation  which  the  Acts  sustain  to  the  narrative  of  the  Gos- 
pels is  that  of  a  consequent  to  an  antecedent.  In  the  mind  of  the 
author  the  two  periods  which  they  cover  stand  in  so  close  a  relation 
that  by  his  own  statement  he  regards  a  history  of  the  Church  after 
the  ascension  as  a  fitting  companion  volume  of  the  history  of  the 
life  of  Christ.     The  Gospels  report  '  all  that  Jesus  began  both  to 


INTRODUCTION. 


do  and  to  teach,  until  the  day  in  which  he  was  received  up'  (1 :  1) ; 
the  Acts  describe  the  work  inaugurated  by  his  followers  in  obe- 
dience to  his  injunctions,  and  prosecuted  in  reliance  upon  his 
promises  and  presence. 

The  Acts  is  distinguished  sharply  from  the  Epistles  by  its  con- 
tents. !Paul,  Peter,  John,  James  and  Jude  in  their  letters  are  con- 
cerned with  doctrinal  discussions,  and  practical  exhortations 
encouraging  believers  to  stedfastness,  or  warning  them  against  evil 
practices.  The  Acts  is  a  missionary  record,  and  not  a  doctrinal  or 
parenetical  treatise.  It  is  a  record  of  activities  rather  than  beliefs, 
of  deeds  rather  than  doctrines.  It  is  a  statement  of  the  extension 
of  the  Christian  faith  in  individual  hearts  and  geographical  centres, 
the  obstacles  opposing  it,  and  the  courage  and  constancy  of  the 
Apostles  and  their  co-laborers.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Epistles  of 
Paul  cannot  be  exhaustively  understood  without  the  historical  de- 
tails which  the  Acts  supplies. 

The  main  events  recorded  in  this  book  are  the  following.  After 
Jesus  had  ascended,  leaving  as  his  legacy  the  promise  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  (1:  5),  the  Apostles  meet  in  an  upper  room  in  Jerusalem, 
and  fill  the  place  made  vacant  in  their  number  by  the  suicide  of 
Judas.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  Holy  Ghost  is  poured  out,  and 
Peter  preaches  his  first  sermon,  urging  a  large  audience  of  Jews  to 
believe  in  Christ  and  be  baptized  (ch.  2).  The  Apostles  for  the 
present  make  Jerusalem  the  scene  of  their  labors.  The  Jewish 
authorities  from  the  beginning  offer  opposition  to  their  preaching, 
but  succeed  neither  in  crushing  the  new  sect  out  of  existence,  nor 
in  suppressing  it  into  silence.  The  Church  increases  rapidly  in  num- 
bers, but  the  self-sacrifices  and  devotion  of  the  body  of  believers,  as 
a  whole,  do  not  prevent  the  development  of  worldliness  (5  :  1-11)  or 
the  growth  of  dissensions.  One  of  the  latter  formed  the  occasion  of 
the  election  of  the  first  deacons  (ch.  6),  one  of  whom,  Stephen,  by 
his  eloquence  discomfited  all  opponents  in  debate,  and  by  his  calm 
martyrdom  shewed  the  world  how  a  Christian  could  die.  Per- 
secution broke  out  afresh,  but  became  a  blessing  by  being  the  occa- 
sion of  the  scattering  of  the  Apostles  and  the  dissemination  of  the 
Gospel  beyond  Jerusalem.  Philip  preaches  with  power  in  Samaria, 
and  baptizes  an  Ethiopian  (ch.  8),  and  by  the  miraculous  conversion 
of  Saul  of  Tarsus,  one  of  the  chief  agents  of  persecution,  a  most 


INTRODUCTION.  xi 


powerful  recruit  to  the  Church,  and  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles  is 
secured  (ch.  9).  The  duty  of  the  Church  with  reference  to  the  ad- 
mission of  the  Gentiles  is  announced  through  a  vision  to  Peter  at 
Joppa,  who  offers  baptism  to  Cornelius,  the  first  convert,  from  the 
Gentile  world  (chs.  10,  11).  From  this  point,  Paul  is  the  central 
figure,  and  the  course  of  the  Gospel  in  Gentile  lands  is  described. 
Antioch  becomes  the  starting  point  for  foreign  missions.  In  three 
great  missionary  journeys,  extending  over  a  period  of  fourteen  years, 
Paul  preaches  with  success  in  Cyprus,  and  many  of  the  towns  and 
cities  of  Asia  Minor  and  Greece,  including  Ephesus,  Athens,  and 
Corinth.  Returning  at  the  close  of  these  years  to  Jerusalem  the 
jealous  hostility  of  his  countrymen  the  Jews,  occasioned  by  his 
attitude  to  the  Gentiles,  breaks  upon  him.  Falsely  accused,  per- 
versely misunderstood,  and  treacherously  threatened,  he  appeals, 
after  a  confinement  of  two  years  by  Felix,  to  his  right,  as  a  Roman 
citizen,  to  be  tried  at  Rome  (ch.  25).  There  he  finally  arrives  after 
a  shipwreck  by  sea  (ch.  27),  and  remains  two  years  a  prisoner,  but 
still  'preaching  the  kingdom  of  God'   (28:  31). 

From  this  outline  it  is  evident  that  the  Acts  does  not  take 
up  the  lives  of  all  the  Apostles.  Its  title  is,  therefore,  not  strictly 
accurate.  Two  figures  are  conspicuously  prominent,  Peter  and  Paul. 
Roughly  speaking,  the  first  twelve  chapters  center  in  Peter,  the  last 
sixteen  in  Paul.  Others  are  mentioned  as  taking  an  important  part 
in  the  counsels  and  labors  of  the  Church.  Of  the  twelve  Apostles 
who  assembled  in  the  upper  chamber  (1 :  13)  not  one  is  afterwards 
referred  to  except  Peter,  John  and  James.  All  that  is  recorded  of 
James  is  his  martyrdom  in  a  single  verse  (12:  2),  and  John  is  only 
noticed  in  connection  with  Peter,  Other  workers  like  Stephen, 
Barnabas  and  Apollos  have  a  more  prominent  place.  But  it  is 
Peter  and  Paul  who  are  the  coryphaei  and  towering  personalities  in 
the  two  periods  of  the  Apostolic  Church,  its  home  (or  Judaic)  and 
foreign  (or  Gentile)  periods  of  activity.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
these  were  the  representative  figures  of  early  Christianity,  as  Luther 
and  Melanchthon  were  of  the  Protestant  Reformation  in  Germany. 
The  writer  could  well  afford  to  pass  by  the  lives  of  the  other  Apos- 
tles whose  work  was  relatively  unimportant  in  its  bearing  upon  the 
general  history  of  the  Church.  It  was  not  his  aim  to  follow 
up  the  work  of  individuals,  which  would  have   required   a   much 


INTRODUCTION. 


larger  space  than  he  has  occupied,  but  to  present  in  a  condensed 
form  the  growth  of  the  Christian  Church.  This  brings  us  naturally 
to  the  second  point, 

II.  The  Design.  Much  stress  has  been  laid  upon  the  exact 
purpose  which  the  author  had  in  writing  the  Acts.  Some  have 
thought  this  purpose  was  the  description  of  the  progress  of  the 
Gospel  from  Jerusalem  to  Rome,  the  imperial  centre  of  power 
(Baumgarten,  Guericke,  Lekebusch,  Ewald,  Howson,  etc.).  But  it 
is  more  natural  to  suppose  that  the  author  intended  to  give  a  simple 
account  of  the  salient  facts  in  the  history  of  early  Christianity  that 
Theophilus  (I;  1)  might  know  the  'certainty'  about  these  events, 
as  he  had  before  written  the  Gospel  that  the  same  correspondent 
might  know  the  ceitainty  about  the  events  of  Christ's  life  (Luke  1 : 
4).  In  carrying  out  this  plan  and  the  selection  of  his  matter,  he 
was,  no  doubt,  influenced,  to  some  extent,  by  his  antecedents 
and  training.  He  was  a  Gentile  (see  below),  and  he  shows,  as 
would  be  expected,  a  predilection  for  topics  connected  with  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel  among  the  heathen.  It  must  not  be  for- 
gotten, however,  that  the  historian  of  early  Christianity  was  justi- 
fied in  pursuing  this  course  by  the  far  larger  results  accruing  from 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Gentiles.  Jerusalem  was 
only  the  cradle  of  Christianity.  The  whole  world  was  designed 
to  be  the  parish  of  the  Apostles.  In  the  light  of  the  subsequent 
growth  of  the  Church  the  author  was  justified  in  giving  as  much 
space  as  he  has  done  to  the  labors  of  Paul  and  the  development  of 
Gentile  Christianity. 

It  has  been  held,  however,  by  some  that  the  author  of  the  Acts 
had  the  more  formal  purpose  of  vindicating  Paul  for  admitting  the 
Gentiles  into  the  Church  (Griesbach,  Schneckenburger),  or  of  con- 
ciliating the  two  schools  of  thought  in  the  Church  by  pairing  down 
the  differences  between  Peter  and  Paul,  their  two  representatives, 
and  exaggerating  the  harmony  between  them.  This  was  the'view 
of  the  so-called  Tubingen  school  of  critics  in  Germany,  and  has 
been  most  elaborately  developed  by  Zeller  in  his  Ads  of  the  Apostles, 
(Engl,  transl.,  2  vols,  Edinb.,  1875-76).  Zeller  holds  that  Paul  is 
represented  in  the  Acts  as  making  more  concessions  to  the  Juda- 
izing  partv  than  the  facts  and  his  Epistles  warrant.  His  relations 
to  the  other  Apostles  are  too  cordial,  he  defers  too  much  to  their 


INTRODUCTION.  xiii 


authority  and  decisions,  as  in  the  case  of  the  delivery  of  the  letter 
of  the  Council  of  Jerusalem  (16  :  4),  and  yields  an  undue  obser- 
vance of  the  Law  (21 :  26,  27).  It  is  urged  also  that  Paul  does  not 
preach  so  sharply  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  as  his  Epis- 
tles represent.  On  the  other  hand,  by  a  similar  process,  Peter  is 
by  design  brought  nearer  the  Pauline  standard  than  the  facts  justi- 
fied, by  associating  his  name  with  the  vision  on  the  housetop  at 
Joppa,  which  illustrated  the  equality  of  Jew  and  Gentile  in  the  new 
economy,  and  with  the  conversion  of  Cornelius.  Zeller  represents 
that  Paul  is  made  to  equal  Peter  in  the  number  of  his  miracles, 
and  Peter  to  equal  Paul  in  liberality  of  spirit  toward  the  Gentiles. 
Stress  is  also  laid  upon  the  apparent  contradictions  in  the  accounts 
of  the  Council  of  Jerusalem  in  the  Acts  (ch.  15),  and  as  given  by 
Paul  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians  (ch.  2). 

This  theory  involves  an  unfaithful  treatment  of  history.  The 
author  started  out  to  prove  a  certain  state  of  affairs  which  did  not 
exist,  and  made  facts  bend  to  his  purpose  and,  where  none  existed, 
invented  incidents.  It  is  ingenious,  but  reads  into  the  Acts  a  great 
many  things  that  are  not  there.  The  great  majority  of  commen- 
tators and  critics,  Alexander,  Alford,  Meyer,  Hackett,  Schaff, 
Lechler,  Prof.  Fisher,  Plumptre,  Wendt,  Lumby,  etc.,  reject  the 
theory  as  unsupported  by  facts.  It  primarily  assumes  a  radical 
and  irreconcilable  difference  between  Peter  and  Paul  in  regard  to 
the  conditions  upon  which  salvation  was  to  be  offered  to  the  Gen- 
tiles, and  bases  this  assumption  upon  a  study  of  the  Acts  (!)  and 
the  Epistles  of  Paul,  especially  Galatians.  It  is  true  that  some 
later  writings  of  the  second  century  represented  a  sharp  difference 
as  existing  between  them,  but  these  writings  were  composed  by  Jewish 
Christians  with  the  special  design  of  depreciating  Paul's  authority. 
It  is  not  true  that  the  N.  T.  gives  any  warrant  for  this  opinion.  It 
has,  for  example,  been  abundantly  shown  that  there  is  no  contra- 
diction in  the  accounts  which  Paul  (Gal.  2)  and  the  Acts  (ch.  15)  give 
of  the  Council  of  Jerusalem.  Peter's  attitude  towards  the  Gentile 
Cornelius  (Acts  10,  11),  to  which  Paul  expressly  refers,  and  his  sub- 
sequent change  of  position  upon  the  question  of  free  relations  with 
the  Gentiles  (Gal.  2  :  12)  is  in  accordahce  with  his  impulsive  nature. 
Paul's  assumption  of  the  Xazarite  obligations  (21 :  26,  27),  at  first 
seems  to  be  inconsistent  with  his  bold  and  liberal  views,  but  the 


INTRODUCTION. 


narrative  is  of  sucli  a  nature  that  the  author  of  the  Acts  (a  Gentile) 
woald  hardly  have  invented  it,  A  study  of  the  Acts  reveals  many 
special  incidents  which  contradict  the  theory.  For  example,  if  it 
was  the  author's  aim  to  minimize  the  differences  between  Peter  and 
Paul,  how  is  it  that  the  persecutions  against  Paul  are  almost  inva- 
riably represented  as  having  started  with  the  Jews,  or  that  the  story 
of  his  miraculous  conversion  without  the  intervention  of  an  Apostle 
is  told  in  detail  three  times,  or  that  no  mention  is  ever  made  of  help 
extended  by  the  Jewish  Christians  to  Paul  in  his  trying  difficulties 
in  the  last  period  of  his  life,  after  he  had  followed  the  advice  of 
James  (ch.  21:  17  sqq.)?  If  the  author  had  a  more  special  purpose 
than  the  description  of  the  spread  of  Christianity,  it  would  seem  to 
have  been  to  magnify  Paul. 

The  characters  of  Peter  and  Paul  are  depicted  in  the  Acts  just  as 
we  would  expect  them  to  be  from  the  delineation  of  the  Gospels 
and  the  Epistles.  Peter,  in  conformity  with  the  Master's  prediction, 
occupied  the  place  of  leader  of  the  twelve  Apostles.  Paul,  on  the 
other  hand,  carries  out  into  action  the  doctrine  enunciated  in  Ro- 
mans (1 :  16),  that  the  Gospel  was  sent  to  the  Jew  first,  but  also  to 
the  Greek,  and  everywhere  preaches  first  to  the  Jews,  in  their  syna- 
gogues, or  houses  of  prayer.  If  we  remember  his  principle  that 
a  preacher  should  become  all  things  to  all  men,  even  his  assump- 
tion of  the  Nazarite's  vow  is  explained,  which  is  the  only  difficult 
thing  to  explain  in  his  conduct. 

Moreover,  the  doctrinal  teaching  of  the  Acts  is  the  same  as  that 
of  the  rest  of  the  N.  T.  If  we  find  that  Paul  adapts  the  matter 
of  his  discourses  to  the  special  condition  of  his  hearers,  as  he  did 
in  the  case  of  Felix  (24:  24,  25),  this  should  not  occasion  any  sur- 
prise. We  can  not  expect  to  find  a  condensed  statement  of  the 
Epistle  to  the  Romans  in  all  of  the  abridged  reports  of  Paul's 
speeches.  Nevertheless,  we  find  faith  made  the  condition  of  the 
remission  of  sins,  as  in  the  address  of  Peter  in  the  house  of  Cornelius 
(10;  43),  and  of  Paul  in  Antioch  of  Pisidia  (13:  39),  and  Philippi 
(16:  31),  etc.,  and  repentance  is  represented  from  the  beginning 
as  the  great  duty,  and  the  remission  of  sins  as  the  reward  of  the 
Christian  (2:  38). 

Meyer  has  well  said,i  that  this  theory  of  Zeller  involves  a  manip- 
i  Commentary,  pp.  7,  11  (Germ.  ed). 


IxNTRODUCTION. 


Illation  of  facts,  a  finesse  in  the  invention  of  incidents,  and  an  un- 
truthfulness of  purpose  which  cannot  be  reconciled  with  the  simplicity 
and  uncritical  artlessness  of  the  book,  yea  are  in  absolute  moral  con- 
tradiction to  its  Christian  temper,  and  the  author's  assurance  in 
the  prologue  of  his  Gospel  (1 ;  4)  to  which  he  makes  reference  in 
the  opening  words  of  the  Acts. 

The  Acts  is  the  simple  story  of  the  progress  of  Christianity,  sent 
by  the  author  to  an  individual,  Theophilus,  that  he  might  know  the 
real  and  salient  facts. 

III.  Composition.  The  author  of  the  Acts  announces  himself 
( 1  :  1 )  as  the  same  person  who  addressed  to  a  certain  Theophilus  a 
treatise  on  the  life  of  Christ,  that  is  the  third  Gospel.  The  coinci- 
dences in  the  style  and  mode  of  treatment  of  the  two  works  confirm 
this  statement.  Luke,  who  wrote  the  third  Gospel,  was,  therefore, 
the  author  of  the  Acts  This  view  was  held  by  the  early  writers  of 
the  Church  as  Irensus  (b.  about  115),  who  stood  in  close  relations 
with  those  who  had  seen  the  Apostles,  Clement  of  Alexandria 
(b.  about  150),  Tertullian  (b.  about  IGO),  and  others;  and  has 
never  been  called  in  question  except  by  two  or  three  ancient  hereti- 
cal sects  and  some  critics  of  this  century. 

Luke's  position  and  friendships  were  such  as  to  fit  him  to  be  a 
trustworthy  historian  of  the  Apostolic  age.  He  was  a  Gentile  by 
birth,  as  we  gather  from  Col.  4:  11,  14,  where  Paul  distinguishes  him 
from  '  those  of  the  circumcision.'  The  tone  of  his  writings  and  his 
name  indicate  the  same  thing.  Whether  he  was  a  proselyte,  or  not, 
cannot  be  determined.  He  was  by  profession  a  physician,  (Col.  4; 
14)  and  it  has  been  conjectured  that  the  reason  for  his  remaining 
so  closely  with  Paul,  in  the  last  years  of  his  life,  was,  that  he  might 
assist  him  with  medical  advice.  Some  of  the  names  of  diseases  in 
the  Acts  are  technical  medical  terms  (28:  8,  etc.).  He  enjoyed 
exceptional  opportunities  for  writing  a  history  of  the  Apostolic  age. 
He  himself  was  an  eye-witness  of  some  of  the  things  which  he  re- 
lates, accompanied  Paul  on  some  of  his  journeyings  and  Was  with 
the  Apostle  during  a  part,  at  least,  of  his  stay  in  Rome  (Col.  4 : 
14,  etc.).  In  the  sections  beginning  with  ch.  16:  10,  in  which 
these  things  are  recorded,  Luke  uses  the  first  person.  He  met  Paul 
at  Troas,  and  suddenly  changing  from  the  third  person,  in  his  narra- 
tive of  the  subsequent  events,  says :     '  When  Paul  had  seen  the 


INTRODUCTION. 


vision,  straightway  zt'e  sought  to  go  forth  into  Macedonia.'  (16:  10) 
At  ch.  17 :  Ijthe  we  is  suddenly  replaced  by  the  third  person,  Luke  be- 
ing left  behind  at  Philippi,  but  is  resumed  at  ch.  20 :  5,  when  Luke  is 
again  joined  by  Paul  after  a  separation  of  six  years,  and  used  through 
the  remainder  of  the  book.  For  the  earlier  portions  of  his  work  he 
depended  upon  his  intercourse  with  Paul  and  his  acquaintance 
with  Philip,  the  deacon,  (  21 :  8  )  and  those  '  eye-witnesses  and  min- 
isters of  the  Word/  from  whom  he  secured  the  facts  of  the  Gospel 
(Lukel:  2). 

The  date  of  the  composition  of  the  Acts  was  after  Paul  had  spent 
two  years  as  a  prisoner  in  Rome  (  28 :  30),  that  is  the  year  63  or  64, 
A.  D.  The  abrupt  conclusion  of  the  Avork  at  this  point,  without 
giving  any  details  of  Paul's  work  in  Rome,  or  making  any  mention 
of  Nero's  persecution  (  64  a.  d.),  naturally  suggests  the  conclusion 
that  Luke  finished  his  work  in  the  year  64.  This  is  the  view  of 
Hackett,  Alford,  Schaff,  Godet,  Lumby  and  others.  Irenaeus  states 
that  he  wrote  after  the  deaths  of  Paul  and  Peter,  Meyer  and 
Wendt  about  80,  while  Zeller,  in  accordance  with  his  general  theory, 
places  the  composition  between  110-125.  The  absence  of  all  ref- 
erence to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  (70  a.  d.),  the  representation 
of  the  parity  of  the  bishops  and  elders,  (20:  17,  28.),  and  the  want 
of  all  allusions  to  the  history  of  Paul  after  64,  are,  when  combined 
with  other  considerations,  decisive  in  favor  of  the  date  before  the 
year  70. 

The  jo/ace  where  the  Acts  was  written,  can  only  be  surmised,  but 
the  abrupt  conclusion  of  the  work  without  any  reference  to  Paul's 
liberation  ( or  martyrdom  ?  )  points  to  Rome,  an  opinion  held  very 
generally  since  Jerome. 

IV.  Credibility.  It  has  been  said  by  Bishop  Lightfoot,  ^  that, 
*  no  ancient  work  affords  so  many  tests  of  varacity  as  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles,  for  no  other  has  such  numerous  points  of  contact 
in  all  directions  with  contemporary  history,  politics  and  topography, 
whether  Jewish,  Greek  or  Roman.'  Its  accuracy  is  confirmed  by 
the  statements  of  Josephus  and  classical  historians  as  well  as  by  re- 
cent modern  discoveries.     The  cases  are  mentioned  in  their  proper 

1  Illustrations  of  the  Acts  from  Recent  Discoveries.    Contemporary  Review,  May, 

1878. 


INTRODUCTION. 


place  in  the  Commentary  and  it  will  be  sufficient  to  notice  only  a 
few  of  the  more  crucial  ones  here. 

1.  In  ch.  13:  7,  the  governor  of  Cyprus  is  called  proconsul. 
The  accuracy  of  this  title  has  often  been  doubted  on  the  basis  of  a 
statement  of  Strabo,  but  has  been  unexpectedly  confirmed  by  an 
inscription  recently  discovered  at  Soli,  Cyprus,  by  General  di  Cesnola,^ 
reading:  EHI  HATAOT  .  [AN0]  THATOY,  'under  the  proconsul 
Paul  us.' 

2.  The  city  officials  of  Thessalonica  are  called  politarchs,  the 
Greek  work  being  translated  in  the  Revised  Version,  '  rulers  of  the 
city/  (17:  8).  This  designation  is  nowhere  to  be  found  in  any 
other  ancient  writing,  but  it  may  still  be  seen  on  an  old  archway 
in  the  modern  city,  Saloniki,  with  the  names  of  seven  politarchs. 

3.  The  titles  of  the  officials  of  Ephesus,  are  strictly  technical 
and  correct,  and  on  the  inscriptions  which  the  valuable  excavations 
of  Mr.  Wood  ( 1863-74 )  have  unearthed,  are  found  again  and  again 
the  title  toum  clerk  {ypanfiarevq),  the  city  official  who  quelled  the 
popular  disturbance  in  the  theatre  (19:  35),  as  also  the  titles, 
Asiarchs,  the  men  who  befriended  Paul  (19:  31)  and  shrine-maker 
or  sacristan,  (19:  26).  The  discoveries  of  Mr.  Wood  have  shown 
that  the  description  of  Ephesus  in  the  Acts  is  remarkably  life-like 
and  accurate. 

4.  The  account  of  the  death  of  Agrippa  I,  (12  :  23)  coincides 
in  its  general  outlines  with  that  which  Josephus  gives,  as  a  sudden 
occurrence  from  a  loathsome  disease  and  following  upon  a  public 
reception  of  delegates  from  Tyre.  The  account  of  the  rebellion 
of  Judas  of  Galilee,  (v.  37  )  is  also  confirmed  by  Josephus.  One 
apparent  exception  to  the  coincidences,  is  the  case  of  Theudas, 
for  which  see  the  Commentary  on  ch.  5  :  36. 

5.  The  descriptions  which  the  Acts  gives  of  the  Roman  gover- 
nors, Gallio  (18:  12 ),  Felix  (24  :  24-27  )  and  of  Agrippa  II.  and 
Bernice,  agree  closely  with  what  we  learn  of  these  personages  from 
the  Roman  historians  ( Tacitus,  Suetonius,  etc.),  as  well  as  from 
Josephus. 

6.  The  geographical  notices  are  also  accurate  showing  the  hand  of 


1  Cyprus:  Its  Ancient  Cities,  etc,  p.  424. 


INTRODUCTION. 


an  experienced  traveller,  and  the  description  of  Paul's  sea  voyage 
and  shipwreck  (  ch.  27)  conforms  to  the  technical  language  of 
navigators.  Several  of  the  places  mentioned  by  Luke  have,  after 
evading  search  for  a  long  time,  been  recently  discovered,  and  the 
discoveries  abundantly  confirm  the  narrative,  as  in  the  case  of  Lasea. 
(See  Com.  27:  8.)  Experiencedsailorshavetaken  the  course  which 
Luke  outlines  in  ch.  27,  and  one  of  them,  Capt.  James  Smith  of 
Jordanhill,  has  shown  the  minute  accuracy  of  the  details  of  the  ac- 
count in  a  special  work.  ^  'Such  monumental  and  scientific  evi- 
dence,' says  Dr.  SchafF,^  '  outweighs  critical  conjectures  and  is  an  irre- 
sistible vindication  of  the  historical  accuracy  and  credibility  of  Luke.' 

There  are  also  strong  internal  evidences  of  the  trustworthiness 
of  the  Acts,  in  the  coincidences  with  the  Epistles  of  Paul,  the  de- 
scription of  the  Jewish  parties  and  its  treatment  of  the  Apostolic 
age.  Luke  does  not  draw  an  ideal  picture,  but  portrays  the  dissen- 
sions in  the  Church  as  well  as  its  successes.  The  hypocrisy  of 
Ananias  and  Sapphira  (ch.  5  ),  the  dispute  over  the  distribution  of 
the  charities  which  lead  to  the  election  of  the  deacons  (  ch.  6  )  and 
the  differences  between  the  Jewish  and  Gentile  wings  (ch.  15,  etc.) 
in  the  Church  are  incorporated.  The  Apostles  themselves  are  de- 
scribed as  carnal  and  fallible  men  and  the  dissension  between  Paul 
and  Barnabas  (  15  :  39  ),  Paul's  apology  for  stigmatizing  the  high 
priest  as  a  'whited  wall,'  (23:  3)  and  his  assumption  of  the 
Nazarite's  vow  ( 21 :  26,  27  )  are  not  passed  over. 

The  omissions  of  the  Acts  are  in  this  regard  hardly  less  significant 
than  the  insertions.  What  splendid  opportunities  an  unfaithful  his- 
torian would  have  had  for  magnifying  Paul  and  inventing  effects  ! 
The  only  fruits  of  the  Apostle's  activity  in  Athens,  were  Dionysius, 
the  Areopagite,  and  a  woman  named  Damaris,and  others  with  them, 
(17:  34),  and  of  the  results  of  his  labors  in  Rome,  the  Acts  says 
nothing.  The  simplicity  of  the  accounts  of  Paul's  labors  in  these 
two  cities,  the  seats  of  intellectual  achievement  and  imperial  power, 
are  strong  evidences  for  the  truthfulness  of  Luke.  The  natural 
artlessness  of  many  details  also  deserves  to  be  mentioned  as  the 
meeting  of  Mary  and  the  Lord's  brethren  in  the  upper  chamber  with 

1  Voyage  and  ShipivrecTc  of  St.  Paul.    Fourth  ed.    London,    1880. 

2  Hist,  of  the  Christ.  Church,  vol.  I,  p.  737 ;  Rev.  ed.,  1882. 


INTRODUCTION. 


the  Apostles  (1:  13-16 ),  the  reception  of  Peter  by  Rhoda  (12: 
12-17,  an  idyllic  episode),  and  Paul's  farewell  meeting  with  the 
elders  of  Ephesus^  (ch.  20). 

In  view  of  these  and  similar  considerations,  the  reader  will  feel 
strengthened  in  the  conviction,  which  an  unprejudiced  perusal  will 
make,  that  the  Acts  is  a  faithful  and  accurate  account  of  the  Apos- 
tolic age. 

V.  Characteristics.  There  are  certain  features  which  stand 
out  prominently  in  the  Acts,  some  of  which  belong  to  the  Chris- 
tianity of  the  age.  The  two  essential  characteristics  may  be  re- 
garded as  being  stated  at  the  very  outset  of  the  narrative,  namely, 
the  promise  and  activity  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  (1 :  5,  8)  and  the  human 
activity  of  the  Apostolic  workers  (1 :  11).  These  two  forces  cooper- 
ate on  every  page  of  the  book.  More  definitely,  chief  among  the 
characteristics  are  the  following  : 

1.  The  Acts  makes  prominent  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
He  is  referred  to  by  name  fifty  times,  or  more  frequently  than  in 
all  the  four  Gospels  together.  The  promise  of  the  Spirit  was 
emphasized  by  Christ  just  before  his  ascension  (1  :  5,  8).  He  de- 
scended in  tongues  of  fire  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  (2 :  1-13).  Early 
believers  (4:  31)  and  preachers,  like  Stephen  (6  :  5)  and  Barnabas, 
were  *  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,'  and  the  Apostles  were  sent  forth 
to  their  work  (13:  4),  or  the  elders  appointed  by  him  (20:  28). 

2.  It  is  a  book  of  beginnings.  The  Holy  Spirit  begins  his  new 
and  promised  activity ;  the  Apostles  inaugurate  their  labors ; 
churches  are  founded  in  many  cities ;  the  promises  of  the  Old  Test- 
ament are  for  the  first  time  offered  to  the  Gentiles,  and  new  work- 
ers, like  Philip,  Stephen,  Barnabas,  Paul,  Apollos  and  others  com- 
mence to  preach  the  Gospel. 

3.  The  Acts  is  eminently  a  hopeful  book.  It  is  the  book  of 
Joshua  among  the  books  of  the  New  Testament,  fresh  as  with  the 
life  of  Spring.  Old  terms  acquire  a  new  significance,  like  believer, 
brother  (9  :  17),  the  Way  (19:  9,  etc.).  There  is  no  cant.  Christianity 
goes  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer,  and  the  world  is  the  heritage 
of  Christ.  It  dwells  much  upon  the  resurrection,  and  looks  forward 
with  expectancy  to  the  Second  Coming. 

1  Meyer,  after  an  excellent  description  of  this  scene,  exclaims  *  What  a 
true,  simple  and  thrilling  description,'  etc.    {Com.  p.  412  ) 


INTRODUCTION. 


4.  It  is  animate  with  the  spirit  of  joy.  In  this  respect,  the 
Acts  is  set  in  the  same  major  key  as  the  Gospel  of  Luke.  Confident 
of  the  presence  "of  the  Master  and  conscious  of  the  power  of  salva- 
tion, the  Apostles  even  rejoice  that  they  were  counted  worthy  to 
suffer  for  him  (5  :  41).  The  tidings  which  they  preach,  like  those 
the  angels  brought,  are  '  good  tidings '  (13  :  32).  Paul  and  Silas 
sang  in  prison  (16  :  25),  and  the  acceptance  of  the  Gospel  is  every- 
where attended  with  great  Jot/  (8  :  39  ;  13  :  52 ;  15  :  3  ;  16  :  34,  etc.). 

5.  It  is  a  book  of  missionary  activity.  Intensity  of  purpose  and 
effort  pulsates  through  it.  It  has  no  morbid  tone.  Much  stress  is 
laid  upon  the  efficacy  of  Christ's  death,  but  only  the  deaths  of 
Stephen  and  James  are  mentioned,  and  the  deaths  of  Paul  and 
Peter  are  entirely  passed  over.  This  silence — a  rebuke  to  the  Ro- 
man Church  which  worships  relics  and  makes  pilgrimages  to  the 
graves  of  the  saints — indicates  that  it  matters  everything  how  a 
Christian  lives,  little  how  he  dies.  Christianity  advances  with  a 
steady  and  rapid  progress  from  Jerusalem  to  Antioch,  Antioch  to 
Corinth,  and  Corinth  to  Rome.  There  are  references  to  the  num- 
bers of  the  believers  (2  :  40  ;  4:4)  and  constant  statements  that  they 
were  increasing  rapidly  (2 :  47  ;  5  :  14 ;  6:7;  12:24;  16:5). 
Besides  the  more  formal  notices,  there  are  incidental  allusions  to 
the  churches  in  Samaria  and  Phoenicia  (15  ;  3),  Syria  and  Cilicia 
(15  :  23),  Troas  (20  :  6,  7),  Tyre  and  Ptolemais  (21  :-l-7),  and  other 
cities.  The  book  is  the  missionary's  best  companion  on  the  fron' 
tier  and  in  foreign  lands. 

6.  The  Acts  is  animated  with  the  universal  aims  of  the  Gospel. 
It  has  a  Gentile  ring.  Palestine  was  only  the  birth-place  of  Chris- 
tianity, not  its  exhaustive  theatre.  Peter  catches  this  tone  in  his 
speech  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  (2  :  39),  whose  various  tongues  were 
themselves  a  type,  and  witnesses  a  figurative  representation  of  it  in 
the  vision  on  the  housetop  of  Joppa.  Stephen's  eye  takes  in  this 
larger  horizon,  and  Paul,  who  uttered  the  significant  words  in  An- 
tioch of  Pisidia,  '  Lo,  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles '  (13  :  46),  looks  out 
to  Rome  itself  when  he  insists,  *  I  must  also  see  Rome  '  (19  :  21  ; 
20  :  22).  The  motto  of  the  Acts  is  the  command  of  the  ascending 
Saviour,  '  to  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth'  (1 :  8),  and  continues 
to  be  the  motto  of  the  Church.  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  is  not  yet 
a  closed  book. 


INTRODUCTION.  xxi 


VI.  Evidential  Value.  The  events  and  forces  of  which  the 
Acts  makes  record,  as  well  as  the  book  as  a  whole  may  be  taken  as 
evidence  for  the  fundamental  truths  of  the  Christian  system.  The 
book  is  constantly  oflFering  to  the  careful  reader  fresh  testimonies 
to  the  great  facts  of  the  Gospel.^ 

It  stands  in  an  organic  relation  to  the  life  of  our  Lord  ( I :  I  ;  6  : 
14  ;  7  :  59,  GO  ;  II :  16,  etc.),  and  contains  not  only  some  of  his  ex. 
act  words,  but  undoubted  reminiscences  of  some  of  his  teachings 
and  sayings.  Peter's  speech  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  calling  upon 
the  Jews  to  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  Christ,"  and  Stephen's  ad- 
dress before  the  Sanhedrin,  announcing  the  abolition  of  the  Mosaic 
ritual  and  temple,  are  evidences  that  Christ  had  before  spoken  of 
these  things. 

More  particularly  the  Acts  is  a  forcible  witness  to  the  resurrec- 
tion. The  footsteps  of  the  Apostles  were  so  elastic  because  they 
felt  that  they  had  a  risen  Christ  behind  them.  The  resurrection  is 
referred  to  incidentally  on  almost  every  page,  and  it  alone  explains  the 
joyous  confidence  of  the  Apostles.  The  vacant  place  of  Judas  was 
to  be  filled  with  one  who  had  been  a  companion  of  Christ  that  he 
might  be  a  '  witness  of  the  resurrection  '  (1 :  22).  Peter,  as  the 
spokesman  of  the  Apostles,  not  only  insists  that  Christ  had  risen, 
but  sesks  to  prove  that  the  fact  was  in  accordance  with  prophecy 
(2  :  31  ;  3  :  15  ;  4 :  10  ;  10 :  40).  '  With  great  power  the  Apostles  gave 
their  witness  of  the  resurrection  '  (4  :  33).  In  this  faith  Stephen 
died  (7 :  56),  and  Paul  preached  before  popular  audiences  (17  :  3), 
and  governors  (24  :  21  ;  26  :  7-9),  and  with  Peter  and  others  en- 
dured the  sharp  edge  of  persecution. 

There  was  a  new  power  in  the  world,  and  the  life  and  activity 
depicted  in  the  Acts  presuppose  some  sufficient  cause  like  the 
promises  and  facts  of  the  Gospel,  as  much  as  the  shooting  forth  of 
the  grasses  and  the  running  of  the  brooks  in  the  Spring-time  indi- 
ciite  that  a  new  power  breathes  through  the  atmosphere.  The  spirit 
of  the  distributive  activity  in  religion,  and  the  eagerness  to  induce 
men  to  repent  and  turn  to  God,  was  foreign  to  Judaism,  in  whose 
school   the   early  Christians    were   brought   up.     The  opening  of 

1  See  Dean  Howson:  The  Evidential  Value  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  (Bohlen 
Lectures).    New  York.    1880. 


INTRODUCTION. 


cordial  relations  with  the  Gentiles  was  in  the  face  of  inveterate 
Jewish  prejudices.  The  barriers  are,  however,  broken  down  in  this 
book.  On  the  other  hand,  the  peculiar  feeling  of  brotherhood  in 
the  congregations,  manifesting  itself  in  charities,  the  growth  in  the 
spiritual  conception  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  (comp.  1:  6;  2:  38; 
28 :  31,  etc.),  and  the  effort  to  extend  it  not  with  sword  but  by  word 
of  mouth  and  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  witnesses  to  the 
same  thing.  The  corner-stone  of  the  Acts  is  the  resurrection  of  Christ. 
VII.  Chronology.  The  dates  of  certain  events  mentioned  in 
the  Acts  are  fixed  by  contemporary  historians.  The  death  of 
^grippa  II.  at  Caesarea,  described  in  12 :  23,  occurred,  according 
to  Josephus,  44  a.  d.,  and  the  recall  of  Felix,  the  Roman  governor, 
occurred  60  or  61  a.  d.  From  these  two  dates  as  starting-points 
the  chronology  of  the  Acts  can  be  approximately  made  up,  but 
there  is  no  certainty  about  the  dates  of  many  of  the  events. 


Chronology  of  Events. 


A.D. 

Events. 

Roman  Emperors. 

33 

Tiberius,  A  D.  14-37. 

36 

Conversion  of  Paul  (Acts  9)      

37 

Conversion  of  Cornelius  (Acts  10, 11) 

Caligula,  A.D.  37-41. 

44 

Martyrdomof  James  (Acts  12:  2) 

44-49 

Paul's  First  Missionary  Journey  as  far  as  Lystra 
and  Derbe,  returning  to  Antiocli  (Acts  13,  14). 

Claudius,  A.  d.  41-54. 

50  or  51 

Apostolic  Council  in  Jerusalem  (Acts  15) 

51-53 

Paul's   Second  Missionary  Journey  through  Asia 
Minor  and  Greece  (Acts  15:  40— 18:  22)  .    .    .    . 

54-57 

Paul's  Third  Missionary  Journey,  including  three 
Years  at  Ephesua  (Acts  18:  23—21:  17;  .  .    .    . 

Nero,  A.  D.  54-  68. 

57 

Paul's  Last  Visit  to  Jerusalem 

58  60 

Paul's  Captivity  in  Cjesarea      

Gl 

61-G3 

Paul's  Captivity  in  Rome 

ACTS  OF  THE  APOSTLES. 


Chapter  1 :  1-11. 
Last  Words  of  the  Risen  Christ  and  the  Ascension, 

1 :  1  The  ^  former  treatise  I  made,  O  Theophilus,  con- 
cerning all  that  Jesus  began  both  to  do  and  to  teach, 

2  until  the  day  in  which  he  was  received  up,  after  thafc 
he  had  given  commandment  through  the  ^Holy  Ghost 

1  Gr.  first.  2  Or,  Holy  Spirit :  and  so  throughout  this  book. 

Ver.  1.  The  former  treatise,  the  Gospel  according  to  Luke, 
which  relates  exclusively  to  our  Lord's  ministry  on  earth.  The  pre- 
sent treatise,  or  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  relates  the  continuation  of 
that  ministry.  In  the  mind  of  the  writer  a  most  close  and  intimate 
connection  existed  between  the  work  and  ministry  of  Jesus  on  earth 
and  his  work  and  ministry  in  heaven. — Theophilus,  the  same  per- 
son to  whom  the  Gospel  of  Luke  is  addressed  (Luke  1:3).  The  title 
there  given  to  him  *  most  excellent '  denotes  rank,  and  was  applied  to 
high  officials,  as  to  Felix  (Acts  23:  26)  and  to  Festus  (Acts  26:  25). 
Nothing  is  recorded  about  him  ;  but  it  is  altogether  likely  he  was  not 
a  Jew,  as  Luke  wrote  for  Gentile  readers. — Coucerning  all  that 
Jesus  began  both  to  do  and  to  teach.  The  Gospel  completes 
the  story  of  the  work  of  Jesus  on  earth;  the  Acts  commences  the  story 
of  the  work  of  Jesus  in  heaven.  In  this  second  treatise,  Luke  takea 
up  the  narrative  of  Christ's  life  where  he  had  left  oflf  in  the  Gospel, 
und  shows  how  the  risen  and  ascended  Lord  still  works  among  men  ; 
how,  though  unseen,  he  still  guides  the  footsteps  of  his  chosen  ser- 
vants. 

Ver.  2.  Until  the  day  in  w^hich  he  was  received  up. 
The  abrupt  way  of  referring  to  the  great  event  of  the  Ascension  is 
noticeable;  simply,  '  he  was  received  up.'  So  also  Luke  9:  51.  In 
other  places,  'into  glory'  (1  Tim.  3:  16),  or  'into  heaven'  (Mark 
16:  19;  Luke  24:  51)  is  added. — Had  given  commandment 
through  the  Holy  Ghost  unto  the  apostles.  Jesus  was  an- 
ointed with  the  Holy  Spirit  (Luke  4:  1,  14;  Matt.  12:  28;  Acts  10: 
38),  and  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  gave  commandment  to  the 
Apostles  to  be  his  witnesses,  and  to  wait  in  Jerusalem  till  they  were 
endued  with  power  from  on  high  (Luke  24:  49).  The  last  command- 
ments of  Jesus  were  in  Luke's  mind  a  point  of  great  importance. 

1 


ACTS  I.  [1 :  3,  4. 


3  unto  the  apostles  whom  he  had  chosen ;  to  whom  he 
also  ^shewed  himself  alive  after  his  passion  by  many 
j^roofs,  appearing  unto  them  by  the  space  of  forty 
days,  and  speaking  the  things  concerning  the  kingdom 

4  of  God:  and,  ^ being  assembled  together  with  them, 
he  charged  them  not  to  depart  from  Jerusalem,  but  to 
wait  for  the  promise  of  the  Father,  which,  said  he,  ye 

1  Gr.  presented.  2  Qr,  eating  with  them. 

*The  Book  of  the  Acts  gives  prominence  to  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Christ  had  promised  to  send  him  to  guide  believers  into  all 
the  truth  (John  16 :  13)  and  to  be  with  the  Church  forever  (John  14: 
16).  At  the  very  threshold  of  the  Acts,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  he 
manifests  himself  in  great  power.  It  is  his  office  to  reveal  Christ  to 
the  hearts  of  believers,  as  Christ  himself  revealed  God  (John  1 :  18). 
While  he  is  mentioned  only  about  forty  times  in  all  the  four  gospels, 
he  is  mentioned  nearly  fifty  times  in  the  Acts. 

Ver.  3.  After  his  passion.  Literally,  after  he  had  suffered, 
namely,  the  death  of  the  cross.  The  simple  term  suffer  occurs  also  in 
this  meaning  in  3:  18;  17:  3.  This  use  arose  probably  out  of  the 
impression  which  the  painful  nature  of  Christ's  sulferings  had  made. — 
By  many  proofs.  The  Greek  word  for  proof  occurs  only  here  in 
the  New  Testament.  It  denotes  the  strongest  proof  of  which  a  subject 
is  capable,  one  that  carries  conviction.  The  irresistible  proofs  of  the 
resurrection  which  Jesus  gave  to  his  disciples,  such  as  talking,  eating 
and  walking  Avith  them,  inviting  them  to  look  at  and  touch  his  hands 
and  his  side  (Luke  24 :  36-48;  John  20:  19,  20;  21),  not  only  con- 
vinced their  minds,  but  fitted  them  as  Apostles  to  be  trustworthy  wit- 
nesses of  that  event. — Appearing  unto  them  by  the  space  of 
forty  days.  The  Lord  was  not  continuously  visible  during  this 
period,  but  appeared  to  them  from  time  to  time. — *  Concerning  the 
kingdom  of  God,  which  it  was  the  purpose  of  Chrisf  s  life  to  estab- 
lish. These  teachings  were  about  the  import  of  the  Old  Testament 
prophecies  (Luke  24:  27),  the  world-wide  significance  of  the  Gospel 
(Luke  24:  47),  the  mission  of  the  Apostles  (Matt.  28:  19),  his  own 
constant  presence  with  the  Church  (Matt.  28  :  20),  and  the  promised 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  power  (Luke  24:  49  ;  Acts  1:   8). 

Ver.  4.  Being  assembled  together  with  them.  The  trans- 
lation of  the  margin,  'eating  with  them,'  is  adopted  by  the  Greek 
Fathers,  Chrysostom,  Thcophylact  an- 1  G^cumcnius,  as  well  as  by  Je- 
rome, and  is  to  be  preferred.  This  meal  seems  to  have  been  a  meeting 
not  mentioned  in  the  Gospels. — *Not  to  depart  from  Jerusalem. 
A  very  necessary  command,  as  it  might  be  their  first  impulse  to  leave 
Jerusalem,  where  the  memory  of  the  crucifixion  was  still  so  fresh  in 
the  minds  of  the  people.     Christ  charged  them  to  keep    together  till 


1:  6-8.]  ACTS  I. 


5  heard  from  me:  for  John  indeed  baptized  with  water; 
but  ye  shall  be  baptized  ^with  the  Holy  Ghost  not 
many  days  hence. 

6  They  therefore,  when  they  w^ere  come  together, 
asked  him,  saying,  Lord,  dost  thou  at  this  time  re- 

7  store  the  kingdom  to  Israel?  J^nd  he  said  unto  them. 
It  is  not  for  you  to  know  times  or  seasons,  which  the 

8  Father  hath  ^set  within  his  own  authority.     But  ye 

1  Or,  in.  2  Or,  appointed  hy. 

after  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  (ch.  2),  and  to  begin  the  proclama- 
tion of  the  Gospel  from  Jerusalem  (Luke  24:  47).  Tlicy  literally 
obeyed  the  command,  and  we  hear  of  no  Christian  effort  outside  of 
Jerusalem  till  after  the  martyrdom  of  Stephen,  when  a  severe  perse- 
cution arose  which  scattered  the  Church  (8:  4).  Then  Philip  wont  to 
Samaria,  and  others  to  Phcjenicia  and  Antioch  (11:  19),  preacliing  the 
Word. — The  promise  of  the  Father,  refers  especially  to  the  pro- 
phecies of  the  Old  Testament,  such  as  I<a.  44  :  o  ;   Joel  2  .   L'8,  2U. 

Ver.  5.  Ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Gliost,  etc. 
The  reference  is  to  the  prediction  of  John  the  Baptist  (Luke  o :  IG  ; 
John  1:  33)  respecting  a  future  baptism  in  the  Holy  Spirit  au  1  in  fire. 
Their  patience  was  not  to  be  put  to  a  long  test.  It  occurred  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost  (ch.  2). 

Ver.  6.  "When  they  were  come  together.  A  different  meet- 
ing from  that  referred  to  in  ver.  4.  It  was  their  hist  interview  with 
the  Risen  One  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  which  was  closed  by  the  Ascen- 
sion.— Lord,  dost  thou  at  this  time  restore  the  kingdom  to 
Israel  ?  What  they  understood  by  restoration  of  the  kingdom  is  not 
quite  clear;  perhaps  they  hardly  knew  themselves.  Tlieir  old  views 
respecting  a  return  of  the  golden  age  of  David  and  Solomon  had  re- 
ceived a  terrible  shock  by  the  crucifixion  (Luke  24:  21);  but  the 
resurrection  and  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  had  inspired  them  with  new 
and  perhaps  even  grander  hopes. 

Ver.  7.  It  is  not  for  you  to  kno-w  times  or  seasons. 
In  spite  of  this  warning,  many  noble  servants  of  the  Church  since 
have  tried  to  fix  the  times  of  the  end  of  the  world  and  Christ's  Second 
Coming.  Of  that  day  and  hour,  knoweth  no  one,  but  the  Father  only 
(Matt.  24;  36). 

^>  Ver.  8.  Ye  shall  be  my  witnesses.  The  Apostles  were  not  to 
advance  speculations  of  their  own,  but  simply  to  testify  to  the  mira- 
cles, teachings,  crucifixion,  resurrection,  ascension  and  promises  of 
Christ,  things  which  they  had  seen  or  heard  (Luke  24:  48;  Acts  2: 
32;  comp.  1  John  1:1).  Our  word  martifr  is  the  Greek  word  [martur) 
here  translated  'witnesses.'  It  became  such  a  common  thing  for  the 
witnesses  (martures)  of  Christ  to  suffer  death  for  his  sake  th-vt  the  word 


ACTS  I.  [1:  9-11. 


shall  receive  power,  when  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come 
upon  you :  and  ye  shall  be  my  witnesses  both  in  Jeru- 
salem, and  in  all  Judsea  and  Samaria,  and  unto  the 
9  uttermost  part  of  the  earth.     And  when  he  had  said 
these  things,  as  they  were  looking,  he  was  taken  up ; 
10  and  a  cloud  receive.d   him  out  of  their  sight      And 
while  they  were  looking  stedfastly  into  heaven  as  he 
went,  behold,  two  men  stood  by  them  in  white  appa- 
ll rel ;  which  also  said.  Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand 
ye  looking  into  heaven  ?  this  Jesus,  which  was  received 

came  to  mean  exclusively  a  martyr  in  our  sense,  or  a  witness  who 
seals  his  testimony  with  his  blood. 

Ver.  9.  He  was  taken  up.  In  this  and  the  next  two  verses, 
the  story  of  the  Ascension  is  told.  Mark  and  Luke,  in  their  Gospels, 
simply  record  the  fact,  Luke  only  adding  that  Jesus  was  in  the  act  of 
'  blessing  them^  when  he  ascended.  It  has  been  asked  why  the  Ascen- 
sion is  not  more  frequently  alluded  to  in  the  New  Testament.  One 
answer  is,  that  it  seems  to  have  been  regarded  only  as  'a  scene'  in 
the  resurrection  glory  of  Christ.  The  Apostles  dwelt  on  the  resurrec- 
tion with  deep  earnestness,  as  the  triumph  of  the  Redeemer  over  death. 
Another  is,  that  the  Ascension  is  necessarily  included  in  the  exaltation 
of  Jesus  on  the  right  hand  of  God,  to  which  the  Apostles  continually 
refer  (Eph.  1 :  20  ;  Phil.  2:  9 ;  1  Tim.  3  :  16  ;  1  Pet.  1 :  21 ;  Rev.  1 :  7, 
etc.). — A  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight,  while  he  was 
in  the  act  of  blessing  them  (Luke  21 :  51).  The  cloud  reminds  us  of 
the  bright  cloud  of  glory  on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration  (Matt.  17: 
5),  and  of  Ps.  104:  3  :  '  He  maketh  the  clouds  His  chariot.'  'The 
ascension  of  Elijah  was  like  the  flight  of  a  bird  which  none  could  fol- 
low;  the  ascension  of  Christ,like  a  bridge  between  earth  and  heaven, 
laid  down  for  all  who  are  drawn  to  him  by  his  earthly  existence ' 
(Baumgarten). 

*Ver.  10.  Looking  stedfastly.  With  sorrow  to  see  him  de- 
part, or  perhaps  with  the  expectation  that  he  would  show  some  won^ 
derful  sign  bearing  upon  the  restoration  of  the  kingdom  to  Israel  (ver. 
6). — T-wo  men  stood  by  them.  Two  angels,  such  as  kept  watch 
in  the  sepulchre  where  the  body  of  Jesus  had  lain  (John  20:  12). 
Luke,  in  his  Gospel,  speaks  of  them  as  'men  in  shining  garments' 
(21:4). 

Ver.  11.  "Why  stand  ye  looking  into  heaven?  The  hea- 
venly messengers  brought  (1)  comfort:  Jesus  will  return  to  the  earth  ; 
and  (2)  reproof:  Expect  him  not  to  re-appear  at  once,  or  to  show  a 
sign  in  the  heavens.  Their  duty  now  was  not  quiet  contemplation, 
but  earnest  work.  Both  the  comfort  and  the  reproof  belong  to  the 
Church  in  all  ages. 


1 :  12,  13.]  ACTS  I. 


up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner 
as  ye  beheld  him  going  into  heaven. 

Beturn  of  the  Disciples  to  Jerusalem, 

12  Then  returned  they  unto  Jerusalem  from  the  mount 
called  Olivet,  which  is  nigh  unto  Jerusalem,  a  sabbath 

13  day's  journey  off.  And  when  they  were  come  in,  they 
went  up  into  the  upper  chamber,  where  they  were 
abiding ;  both  Peter  and  John  and  James  and  Andrew, 
Philip  and  Thomas,  Bartholomew  and  Matthew,  James 
the  son  of  Alphaeus,  and  Simon  the  Zealot,  and  Judas 

♦Practical  Notes.— The  Book  of  the  Acts,  like  the  Book  of  Joshua  in  the  Old 
Testament,  is  fresh  with  life  and  hope.  It  breathes  the  atmosphere  of  Sjjring.  As 
Joshua  went  forth  in  the  strengih  of  divine  promises  to  conquer  tlie  laud  of  Canaan  so 
the  Apostlea  went  forth  in  the  strength  of  Christ's  promises  to  win  the  world.  The 
Apostles  went  forth  preaching  the  Gospel,  strong  in  the  conviction  that  the  risen  and 
ascended  Christ  was  present  with  them  and  exhilaiated  with  the  hope  of  his  coming 
again  '  in  like  manner  as  they  had  beheld  him  going  into  heaven.'  Every  Christian 
breathes  the  same  atmosphere,  for  while  he  rests  upon  the  cross  he  gazes  out  into  a  cleft 
heaven  and  waits  till  the  Saviour  'will  come  again  and  receive  us  unto  himself 
(John  14:  3). — The  Apostles  were  still  indulging  carnal  hopes  of  a  visible  earthly 
kingdom.  But  after  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  their 
feelings  were  all  changed  and  Peter  then  calls  upon  the  peL'ple  to 'repent  unto  the 
remission  of  their  sins'  (Acta  2:  38)  If  Christ  bore  so  long  with  his  disciples,  wo 
ought  to  bear  with  one  another  in  our  shortcomings  and  failures  to  ajiprehend  the 
spiritual  meaning  and  use  of  life —We  cannot  look  upwards  to  Christ  and  to  our 
heavenly  inheritance  too  much.  But  we  mu.st  remember  the  work  there  is  for  us  to 
do.  Religion  is  not  all  contemplation.  It  is  an  active  struggle  to  put  away  sin  from 
our  own  hearts  and  to  help  our  fellowmen  to  do  the  same.  Neither  should  we  depend 
solely  upon  the  Christ  outside  of  us — crucified,  risen,  ascended-  but  also  upon  the 
Christ  '  in  us,  the  hope  of  glory '  (Col.  1 :  27).— Jesus  will  come  again,  the  same  Jesus 
who  rebuked  the  hypocrite  and  Pharisee,  who  gave  rich  promises  to  the  penitent  and 
pure  of  heart.  He  will  come  in  the  clouds  for  judgment  and  '  every  eye  shall  behold 
him,  and  they  which  pierced  him '   (Rev.  1 :  7). 

Return  of  the  Disciples  to  Jerusalem,  vers.  12-14. 

Ver.  12.  Nigh  unto  Jerusalem,  a  sabbath  day's  journey 
off.  Two  thousand  paces  or  nearly  a  mile.  Luke  is  explicit  because 
he  was  writinjy  for  Gentile  readers.  In  his  Gospel  he  describes  the 
ascension  as  taking  place  '  over  against  Bethany '   (Luke  24  :  50). 

Ver.  13.  Into  the  upper  chamber.  Some  have  supposed  on 
the  basis  of  Luke  24 :  53  that  this  was  an  apartment  in  the  temple. 
But  it  is  not  likely  that  the  priests,  bitterly  hostile  as  they  were  to 


ACTS  I.  [1 :   14,  15. 


14  the  ^  son  of  James.  These  all  with  one  accord  continued 
stedfastly  in  prayer,  ^with  the  women,  and  Mary  the 
mother  of  Jesus,  and  with  his  brethren. 

Chapter  1 :  15-26. 

Election  of  an  Apostle  and  the  Address  of  Peter. 

15  And  in  these  days  Peter  stood  up  in  the  midst  of 
the  bretiiren,  and  said  (and  there  was  a  multitude  of 
^persons   gathered    together,   about    a    hundred    and 

1  Or,  brother.     See  Jude  1.  ^  Or,  wi/Z*  certain  ivomen.  3  Qr.  names. 

Jesus  would  have  allowed  his  followers  the  use  of  a  room  there.  It 
was  very  prol.ably  the  same  chamber  in  which  the  last  Supper  had 
been  eaten  (Mark  14:  15). — Where  they  v/ere  abiding.  This 
is  the  fourth  catalogue  of  the  Apostles  given  in  the  New  Testament. 
One  name  is  wanting  which  had  appeared  before,  that  of  Judas  (See 
Matt.  10:  2;  Mark  3:  14;  16:  14).  The  order  which  differs  from  that 
which  is  given  in  Luke's  Gospel,  may  indicate  the  relative  influence  of 
the  Apostles  in  the  history  of  the  early  Church,  Andrew  who  in  the 
Gospel  is  placed  second  has  in  this  list  the  fourth  place  and  Thomas 
who  is  there  ei2;hth  has  here  the  sixth  place. 

Ver.  14.  With  the  •women.  These  words  are  specially  woi"thy 
of  attention.  In  the  Jewish  temple  the  women  were  not  permitted  to 
worship  with  the  men,  but  had  a  separate  court  of  their  own,  *  the  court 
of  the  women,'  Among  the  changes  which  Christianity  has  worked 
none  is  more  striking  than  the  alteration  it  has  brought  about  in  the 
social  position  of  woman.  In  the  number  of  the  women  who  met  in 
the  upper  chamber,  are  included  those  devout  women  who  are  men- 
tioned as  following  Christ,  were  with  him  in  the  last  visit  to  Jerusalem, 
looked  on  the  cross  and  watched  at  the  sepulchre  (Matt.  27:  55-61; 
28:  1). — Mary  the  mother  of  Jesus.  She  is  here  mentioned  for 
the  last  time  in  the  New  Testament.  *  She  is  forever  blessed  amongst 
women  (Luke  1 :  28),  but  she  has  no  place  of  authority  in  the  early 
Church,  much  less  was  she  worshipped.  This  is  a  tender  reference  to  her. 
Luke  got  his  knowledge  of  the  facts  in  the  Lord's  infancy  either 
directly  or  at  second  hand  from  her. — And  VT^ith  his  brethren. 
Of  them  it  was  once  said  '  neither  did  his  brethren  believe  in  him ' 
(John  7:  5).  The  names  of  four  brothers  were  James,  Joses,  Judas 
and  Simon  (Mark  6  :  3).     Sisters  are  also  mentioned. 

Election  of  an  Apostle  and  the  Address  of  Peter. 

Ver.  15.  Peter  stood  up.  The  time  had  come  for  him  to 
'  stablish  his  brethren'  (Luke  22:  32).  He  appeared  as  the  leader 
and  spokesman  of  the  Apostles  among  the  Twelve.  He  had  been  com- 
pletely restored  to  Christ's  confidence    (John  21 :  15-17)  and  became 


1:  16-19.]  ACTS  I. 


16  twenty),  Brethren,  it  was  needful  that  the  scripture 
should  be  fulfilled,  which  the  Holy  Ghost  spake  before 
by  the  mouth  of  David  concerning  Judas,  Mdio  was 

17  guide  to  them  that  took  Jesus.  For  he  was  numbered 
among  us,  and  received  his  ^  portion  in  this  ministry. 

18  (Now  this  man  obtained  a  field  with  the  reward  of  his 
iniquity ;  and  falling  headlong,  he  burst  asunder  in  the 

19  midst,  and  all  his  bowels  gushed  out.  And  it  became 
known  to  all  the  dwellers  at  Jerusalem;  insomuch  that 
in  their  language  that  field  was  called  Akeldama,  that 

2  Or,  lot. 

one  of  his  boldest  witnesses.  This  position  of  leader  naturally  fell  to 
him  as  being  the  boldest  and  most  impetuous  of  the  twelve  disciples  and 
was  in  accordance  with  Christ's  own  words  (Matt.  16:  18;  John  21 : 
15-17).  He  was  not  so  brilliant  an  orator  as  Stephen,  nor  had  he 
understood  the  mystic  character  of  the  Saviour  as  John,  nor  did  he 
appreciate  the  woi'ldwide  significancy  of  the  Gospel  as  did  Paul,  yet  he 
proved  himself  an  able  and  intrepid  leader.  He  sealed  his  testimony 
by  martyrdom  and,  as  tradition  says,  he  was  crucified  with  his  head 
downward,  deeming  himself  unworthy  to  be  crucified  in  the  same  posi- 
tion as  Christ. — A  hundred  and  t-wenty.  Paul  mentions  five 
hundi-ed  brethren  as  having  seen  the  risen  Lord  (1  Cor.  15  :  6).  This 
gathering  of  five  hundred  took  place  probably  in  Galilee.  The  number 
of  Christ's  followers  at  his  death  must  not  be  confined  to  the  eleven 
disciples  and  a  few  women. 

Yer.  16.  The  scripture  should  be  fulfilled.  The  quotations 
are  fully  made  from  the  Septuagint  (LXX.)  or  Greek  translation  of 
the  Hebrew  Scriptures. 

*Ver.  17.  Received  his  portion  in  this  ministry.  This  is 
a  very  striking  reference  to  the  call  of  Judas  and  his  equal  opportunities 
with  the  other  disciples, as  well  as  to  his  subsequent  forfeiture  of  them 
by  his  own  conduct. 

Yer.  18.  Obtained  a  field.  Peter  here  says  that  Judas  bought 
the  field.  Matthew  (27  :  3-7)  gives  no  doubt  a  more 'exact  account  of 
the  transaction  when  he  says  the  field  Avas  purchased  by  the  priests 
with  the  money  Judas  earned.  Peter  speaks  rhetorically  and,  by  a 
common  figure  of  speech,  attributes  to  Judas  what  his  money  in  other 
hands  had  purchased. — And  falling  headlong.  Judas  hung  him- 
self (Matt.  27:  5).  It  is  quite  likely  as  Dr.  Hackett  supposes  that  it 
was  from  the  branch  of  a  tree  on  the  edge  of  a  precipice  overhanging 
the  valley  of  Hinnom.  The  rope  breaking,  he  fell  to  the  earth  and  was 
dashed  to  pieces. 

Yer.  19.  That  field  was  called  Akeldama.  Because  it  was 
purchased  withthe  price  of  blood  (Matt.  27  :  8)  or  as  the  reason  is  here 


ACTS  I.  [1 :  20-24. 


20  is,  The  field  of  blood.)  For  it  is  written  in  the  book 
of  Psalms, 

Let  his  habitation  be  made  desolate, 
And  let  no  man  dwell  therein : 
and, 

His  ^  office  let  another  take. 

21  Of  the  men  therefore  which  have  companied  with  us 
all  the  time  that  the  Lord  Jesus  went  in  and  went  out 
^  among  us,  beginning  from  the  baptism  of  John,  unto 
the  day  that  he  was  received  up  from  us,  of  these  must 

23  one  become  a  witness  with  us  of  his  resurrection.  And 
they  put  forward  two,  Joseph  called  Barsabbas,  who 

24  was  surnamed  Justus,  and  Matthias.  And  they  prayed, 
and  said,  Thou,  Lord,  which  knowest  the  hearts  of  all 
men,  shew  of  these  two  the  one  whom  thou  hast  chosen, 

1  Gr.  overseership.  2  Q^,  over. 

given  in  the  Acts  because  of  the  traitor's  violent  death.  Both  these 
reasons  contributed  to  the  awful  title  by  which  the  field  was  afterwards 
known. 

Vers.  21,  22.  The  necessary  condition  of  apostleship  was  the  having 
been  personally  acquainted  with  the  public  career  of  Jesus  from  the 
day  of  his  baptism  until  the  day  of  the  ascension.  The  Apostles  were 
to  be  witnesses  of  the  resurrection.  This  was  the  central  fact  in  the 
history  of  the  Lord,  *  the  one  which  if  proved  would  confirm  all  the 
other  facts  in  his  life,  but  the  one  which  the  Jews  denied  the  most 
strenuously  and  would  resist  the  most  obstinately.  They  had  before 
hired  men  to  spread  the  report  that  Jesus'  body  was  stolen  away  from 
the  sepulchre  (Matt.  28:  13).  An  Apostle  who  could  speak  only  of 
the  miracles  and  the  crucifixion  would  have  had  little  influence.  The 
early  Church  laid  great  emphasis  upon  the  reality  of  the  resurrection, 
and  Peter  affirm^  it  again  and  again  in  his  speeches  (Acts  2 :  32 ;  8 : 
15,  etc.)  as  does  Paul. 

Ver.  24.  And  they  prayed,  and  said,  Thon,  Lord,  which 
knowest  the  hearts,  etc.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  glorified 
Christ  is  here  addressed  for  in  ver.  21  Jesus  is  called  Lord,  and  because 
the  selection  of  the  twelve  Apostles  is  always  ascribed  to  him  (Acts  1 : 
2 ;  Luke  6:13;  John  6 :  70,  etc).  Against  this  view  it  has  been  urged  by 
Meyer  and  others  that  the  epithet  ivhich  knowest  the  hearts  {KapfiioyyCiara) 
belongs  exclusively  to  God.  But  this  is  hardly  true  in  the  face  of  the 
statements  which  represent  Jesus  as  one  before  whom  all  hearts  are 
open,  and  all  desires  known  (John  1 :  50 ;  2 :  25  ;  G  :  64,  etc). 


1 :  25,  26.]  ACTS  I. 


25  to  take  the  place  in  this  ministry  and  apostleship,  from 
which  Judas  fell  away,  that  he  might  go  to  his  own 

26  place.  And  they  gave  lots  ^  for  them  ;  and  the  lot  fell 
upon  Matthias ;  and  he  was  numbered  with  the  eleven 
apostles. 

1  Or,  unto. 

Ver.  25.  That  he  might  go  to  his  own  place.  These  words 
close  the  traitor's  gloomy  story  and  are  a  euphemistic  expression  for 
•the  place  of  condemnation.  The  Rabbins  used  the  expression  in  this 
sense,  as  for  example  Baal  Turim  (on  Num.  24:  25)  when  he  says, 
'  Baalam  went  to  his  own  place,  that  is  to  Gehenna.' 

Ver.  26.  The  lot  fell  upon  Matthias.  The  lots  were  probably 
tablets  with  the  name  of  one  of  the  persons  written  on  each.  The  lot 
was  frequently  resorted  to  in  the  Old  Testament  as  at  the  selection  of 
the  scape  goat  (Lev.  16 :  8),  the  division  of  the  land  (Num.  26  :  55), the 
choice  of  King  Saul  (1  Sam.  10  :  20,  21).  But,  so  far  as  we  know  this 
was  the  solitary  instance  where  the  Apostles  used  the  lot.  No  church 
except  the  Moravian  has  ever  attempted,  in  its  election  of  pastors,  to 
follow  the  example  of  this  first  election  in  Jerusalem. 

*  Practical  Notes. — The  best  of  companionship  does  not  make  all  men  good.  A 
shadow  was  cast  by  one  in  the  very  company  which  Jesus  chose  for  his  intimate 
disciples.  Judas  betrayed  his  Master,  lost  his  opportunity  of  being  a  blessing  to  the 
world  and  in  despair  hung  himself.  His  career  is  a  warning  to  those  who  trifle  with 
the  means  of  grace  and  neglect  the  exhortations  of  God's  Word.  The  best  intluencea 
do  not  keep  some  from  a  grave  of  ignominy,  nor  the  call  of  the  Spirit  save  some  from 
everlasting  condemnation.  To  them  the  words  of  Christ  may  still  be  applied  '  Ye  will 
not  (do  not  desire)  come  unto  me  that  ye  might  have  life.' — The  way  of  the  trans- 
gressor is  hard. — The  career  of  Peter  afToids  encouragement  to  all  who  have  once 
wavered  in  their  loyalty  to  Chririt  Three  times  he  denied  his  Master,  but  repenting 
he  was  reinstated  by  the  Lord.  He  here  appears  as  the  coryphseus  of  the  Apostles  not 
only  in  the  direction  of  the  atfairs  of  the  little  Church,  but  also  in  prayer.  Grace  ia 
ever  ready  to  restore  the  penitent. — The  Apostles  were  first,  of  all, witnesses.  They 
testified  to  things  they  had  seen  and  heard.  It  was  this  which  gave  to  their  preaching 
power.  He  who  speaks  because  lie  has  seen  the  Lord,  felt  him  in  his  heart,  will  speak 
to  edification.  'I  have  believed,  therefore  have  I  spoken,' said  the  Psalmist. — The 
central  fact  of  the  early  teaching  and  preaching  of  the  Apostles  was  the  Eesurrection 
of  the  Lord.  On  the  reality  of  this  fact  all  the  rest  hinged.  If  it  were  proved,  then 
the  divine  mission  of  his  life  followed  as  a  necessary  conclu.sion  The  immortality  of 
the  soul  was  doubted  amongst  the  Jews  by  the  Sadducees  as  well  as  among  the  Greeks, 
many  of  whom  mocked  at  Paul  when  he  spoke  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  (Acts  17  : 
S2).  The  Gospel  came  the  harbinger  of  hope  and  light  to  illuminate  the  darkness  of 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death  and,pointing  the  world  to  an  open  sepulchre  and  the 
cloven  heavens  receiving  the  ascending  Lord, says,  'Ye  shall  live  also'  (John  14:  19). 
'  Christ  is  the  first  fruits  of  them  that  are  asleep '  (1  Cor.  15  :  20). 


10  ACTS  11.  [2:  1-3. 

Chapter  2:  1-13. 
Descent  of  the  Holy  Sjyirit  and  the  Gift  of  Tongues. 

2 :  1     And  when  the  day  of  Pentecost  ^  was  now  come, 

2  they  were  all  together  in  one  place.     And  suddenly 

there  came  from  heaven  a  sound  as  of  the  rushing  of  a 

mighty  wind,  and  it  filled  all  the  house  where  they 

'  3  were  sitting.  And  there  appeared  unto  them  tongues 
^parting  asunder,  like  as  of  fire;  and  it  sat  upon  each 

1  Gr.  ivas  hein/j  fulfilled.        2  Or,  'parting  among  them.    Or,  distributing  themselves. 

Ver.  1.     "When    the   day   of    Pentecost   "was   now   come. 

Pentecost,  one  of  the  great  annual  festivals  of  the  Jews,  was  the  Greek 
designation  of  the  feast  of  Harvest  (Ex.  23 :  16)  or  the  feast  of  Weeks, 
as  it  was  also  called  from  its  occurring  seven  weeks  after  the  Passover 
(Lev.  23:  15;  Deut.  IG:  10).  The  later  Rabbins  also  considered  it  as 
the  anniversary  of  the  giving  of  the  Law  from  Sinai.  It  lasted  only 
one  day  and  was  called  Pentecost,  which  means  '  Fiftieth '  from  the 
fact  that  it  occurred  on  the  fiftieth  day  after  the  Passover  Sabbath. 
The  anniversary  is  called  in  the  Church  Calendar  Whitsunday.  Multi- 
tudes of  the  Jews  from  Palestine,  and  also  from  other  countries, 
attended  these  great  annual  festivals.  This  time  was  no  doubt  selected 
for  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that  it  ndght  be  witnessed  by  a  large 
concourse  of  people  and  by  Jews  from  foreign  lands,  and  so  the  news 
be  rapidly  and  widely  spread  abroad. — They  "were  all  together. 
*Air  here  certainly  includes  more  than  the  twelve  Apostles,  (ver.  16), 
and  very  possibly  refers  to  the  '  hundred  and  twenty '  mentioned  in 
chap.  1:15.  Others  think  of  all  the  believers  then  assembled  in  Jerusa- 
lem.— In  one  place.  Not  a  chamber  of  the  temple,  but  probably  the 
same  place  where  the  disciples  met  at  the  election  of  Matthias  (1 :  13). 

Ver.  2.  And  suddenly.  The  Apostles  were  waiting  for  the 
promise  of  their  Master,  but  this  extraordinary  event  came  upon  them 
apparently  without  any  previous  intimation — suddenly,  unexpectedly. 
■ — There  came  from  heaven  a  sound  as  of  the  rushing  of  a 
mighty  wind,  etc.  This  was  not  an  actual  wind  but  merely  a  sound 
which  they  could  compare  to  nothing  so  well  as  to  a  vehement  wind. 
The  whirr  was  so  loud  as  to  be  heard  through  the  whole  house.  The 
Spirit  was  compared  to  a  wind  by  the  Saviour  (John  3:  8). 

Ver.  3.  There  appeared  unto  them  tongues  parting  asun- 
der, like  as  of  fire,  etc.  These  were  not  real  flames  of  fire,  but 
only  had  the  gloioing  appearance  of  fire.  They  were  not  flashes  of 
electricity,  as  some  have  thought,  but  had  the  character  of  a  persistent 
gleaming  of  light.  The  flaming  tongues  were  an  emblem  of  enkindled 
and  purified  emotions,  enthusiasm,  and  may  be  thought  of  in  connec- 


2:  4.]  ACTS  11.  11 

4  one  of  them.  And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  began  to  speak  with  other  tongues,  as  the 
Spirit  gave  them  utterance. 

tion  with  the  baptism  of  fire  of  which  Christ  spoke  (Matt.  3:  11). 
The  account  of  this  stupendous  miracle,  in  common  with  nearly  all  the 
biblical  recitals  of  supernatural  events,  is  studiedly  short,  and  dwells 
on  no  details  ;  it  simply  relates  how  and  when  it  took  place,  assuming 
that  the  circumstances  were  generally  known  and  required  nothing  more 
than  the  bare  recapitulation  of  the  fact.  Three  events  took  place — (1.) 
A  murmuring  sound  came  from  heaven  and  pervaded  the  whole  house. 
(2.)  Flames  glowing  like  tongues  of  fire  filled  the  chamber,  a  tongue 
of  flame  settling  on  the  head  of  each  one  present.  (3.)  Every  one  felt 
a  new  and  mighty  power,  and  the  ecstatic  utterance  of  praise  which 
followed  was  merely  an  outward  sign  of  the  grace  and  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

Ver.  4.  And  they  vrere  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Under  the  old  covenant,  skilful  artists  like  Bezaleel,  leaders  and  judges 
like  Joshua,  were  filled  now  and  again  with  the  Spirit  of  God  and  the 
Spirit  of  wisdom  (Ex.  31  :  3;  Deut.  34:  9).  And  upon  the  prophets 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  dwelt  for  a  time,  but  now  began  that  intimate 
union  which  should  endure  through  time  and  eternity  between  man 
and  his  God.'  *This  was  the  historic  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the 
Church  according  to  the  promise  of  Christ  frequently  reiterated  before 
his  death  (.John  14:  16,  etc.),  and  repeated  after  the  resurrection  (Acts 
]  :  5).  The  Holy  Spirit  did  not  act  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  for  the  first 
time.  Nor  had  the  disciples  merely  heard  of  him  as  about  to  be  sent. 
Jesus  had  taught  them  to  pray  for  him  (Luke  11:  13)  and  'breathed 
on  them  saying,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost'  (John  20  :  22).  He  was 
in  the  world  under  the  Old  Covenant  in  a  general  way  and  had  spora- 
dically inspired  agents  to  execute  the  divine  will  and  speak  divine 
words.  But  henceforth  his  presence  was  to  be  constant  in  the  Church 
and  his  manifestations  were  to  assume  new  forms,  produce  intensified 
convictions  and  have  a  far  wider  reception.  His  power  was  to  bo 
displayed  in  converting  the  hearts  of  sinners  and  illuminating  their 
minds  with  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  edifying  believers.  He  was 
to  be  a  constant  presence  in  their  hearts  (Rom.  8:  11),  their  very  life 
(Rom.  8:  10),  their  guide,  and  helper,  and  to  be  recognized  in  his  divine 
personality  and  as  the  divine  agent  without  whom  no  man  can  say 
Jesus  is  Lord  (1  Cor.  12:  3).  It  is  to  such  considerations  we  are  to 
look  for  the  significance  of  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost.  Next  to  the  facts  of  the  incarnation,  crvicifixion  and  resur- 
rection, this  is  the  most  important  in  the  history  of  the  Church.  The 
immediate  and  permanent  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  Apostles 
consisted  1)  in  enabling  them  to  speak  with  tongues,  2)  to  work  mira- 
cles, 3)  to  speak,  though  illiterate  men,  with  great  wisdom  and  eloquence, 
4)  to  understand  the  spiritual  nature  of  Christ's  Kingdom  (comp.  Acts 


12  ACTS  11.  [2:  5-8. 

5  Now  there  were  dwelling  at  Jerusalem  Jews,  devout 

6  men,  from  every  nation  under  heaven.  And  when 
this  sound  was  heard,  the  multitude  came  together, 
and  were  confounded,  because  that  every  man  heard 

7  them  speaking  in  his  own  language.  And  they  were 
all  amazed  and  marvelled,  saying.  Behold,  are  not  all 

8  these  which  speak  Galilseans  ?  And  how  hear  we, 
every  man  in  our  own  language,  wherein  we  were 

2:  38). — "With  other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utter- 
ance. On  the  qnestion  ivhat  these  '  tongues '  were,  see  the  general 
Excursus  on  the  Miracle  of  Pentecost  at  the  end  of  the  section,  and 
Schaff  s  History  of  the  Apostolic  Church. 

Ver.  5.  No-w  there  -were  dwelling  at  Jerusalem  Jews. 
The  Greek  word  used  here  according  to  classical  usage,  would  convey 
the  notion  that  the  persons  alluded  to  were  residents  in  the  city,  but 
the  words  in  ver.  9,  'dwellers  in  Mesopotamia,'  etc.,  and  in  ver.  10, 
♦sojourners  from  Rome,'  imply  that  they  still  had  their  homes  in  these 
distant  lands.  It  includes  then,  permanent  residents  and  strangers  on 
a  visit  to  the  city. — Devout  men.  The  fact  of  their  having  left  their 
country  to  dwell  in  .lerusalem,  showed  they  were  'devout  men'  in  tlie 
Old  Testament  sense  of  the  word.  The  same  epithet  is  applied  to 
Simeon  (Luke  '1 :  25). — Prom  every  nation  under  heaven.  The 
Jews  at  this  time  were  scattered  over  the  whole  world  and  doing  busi- 
ness in  all  the  more  prosperous  cities  (Philo).  Agrippa,  in  Josephus, 
says :  '  There  was  no  nation  upon  earth  which  had  not  Jews  among 
them.' 

Ver.  6.  And  when  this  sound  was  heard.  Not  a  rumor, 
but  the  sound  itself  as  of  the  rushing  of  a  mighty  wind  which  filled  tho 
house.  It  was  heard,  no  doubt,  over  all  the  neighborhood,  probably, 
as  Alford  suggests,  over  all  Jerusalem. — The  multitude  came  to- 
gether. 'The  house  may  have  been  on  one  of  the  avenues  to  the  tem- 
ple, thronged  at  this  time  by  a  crowd  of  early  worshippers'  (Hackett). 

Vei\  7.  Behold,  are  not  all  these  which  speak  Galilesans? 
They  were  no  doubt  well  known, as  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  to  be  at  least 
for  the  most  pai-t  from  Galilee.  Peter  had  been  recognized  by  his 
accent  as  a  Galilean  before  the  crucifixion  (Matt.  26:  73).  They  were 
most  unlikely  to  be  acquainted  with  foreign  idioms.  At  a  later  period 
the  followers  of  Jesus  were  styled  Galileans  in  reproach. 

Ver.  8.  In  our  own  language  wherein  we  were  born. 
Foreign  Jews  lost  their  acquaintance  with  Hebrew.  At  Jerusalem  at 
this  time  there  were  separate  synagogues  where  various  languages  were 
used  in  the  services,  to  which  they  resorted  (G:  9).  *These  words,  as 
well  as  the  enumeration  of  countries  which  follows,  leave  no  doubt 
that  the  languages  which  the  Galileans  spoke  were  intelligible  and  not 
meanino-less  mutteiunffs. 


2:  9-11.]  ACTS  II.  13 

9  born?     Parthians  and  Medes  and  Elamites,  and  the 
dwellers  in  Mesopotamia,  in  Judaea  and  Cappadocia, 

10  in  Pontus  and  Asia,  in  Phrygia  and  Pamphylia,  in 
Egypt  and  the  parts  of  Libya  about  Cyrene,  and 
sojourners    from   Pome,    both   Jews   and   proselytes, 

11  Cretans  and  Arabians,  we  do  hear  them  speaking  in 

Vers.  9-11.  Parthians,  etc.  The  catalogue  contains  the  names  of 
fifteen  nations,  by  each  of  which  a  ditferent  language  was  spoken.  In 
some  few  instances  (as  in  Parthia,  Media,  Elam),  ditferent  dialects,  for 
all  practical  purposes,  ranked  as  distinct  languages.  These  countries 
had  become  the  principal  residences  of  the  dispersed  Jewish  nation. 
The  list  roughly  follows  a  geographical  plan,  which  proceeds  from  the 
north-east  to  north-west,  then  to  the  south,  and  lastly,  to  the  west. 
But  this  plan  is  not  strictly  adhered  to,  for  the  last  two  names  are 
independent  of  any  such  arrangement.  The  names,  of  course,  were 
added  by  Luke. — Parthians,  Medes,  Elamites.  In  the  Persian 
kingdom.  It  was  among  these  people  that  Slialmaneser,  king  of  Assyria, 
settled  the  captive  ten  tribes. — Mesopotamia.  The  country  between 
the  Tigris  and  the  Euphrates. — Judeea.  This  name  is  introduced 
because  Luke  desired  to  enumerate  all  the  languages  spoken  that  day 
by  the  disciples. — Cappadocia.  Then  a  Roman  province. — Pontus, 
on  the  Euxine,  became  a  Eoman  province  soon  afterwards,  in  the  reign 
of  Xero. — Asia,  the  province  on  the  Western  coast  of  Asia  Minor,  inclu- 
ding Caria,  Lydia,  Mysia.     Its  capital  was  Ephesus. 

Yer.  10.  Phrygia,  east  of  '  Asia.'  but  the  greater  part  of  it  was  then 
reckoned  in  that  great  province. — And  Pamphylia,  a  small  division 
on  the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean. — Egypt.  Luke  passes  to  Aft-ica. 
Great  numbers  of  Jews  resided  in  Egypt.  The  Greek  Version  of  the 
Hebrew  Scriptures,  known  as  the  Septuagint  (LXX.),  had  been  pre- 
pared for  them.  Two-fifths  of  the  popvilation  of  the  great  city  Alexandria 
were  Jews. — The  parts  of  Libya  about  Cyrene.  West  of  Egypt. 
Cyrene  was  a  large  city  of  Libya,  a  fourth  part  of  whose  population  says 
Strabo  (in  Josephus),  was  Jews.  In  Jerusalem  they  had  a  synagogue 
of  their  own  (Acts  6:9).  Simon,  who  bore  the  Saviour's  cross  was 
from  Cyrene  (Matt.  27:  32). — Sojourners  from  Rome.  He  passes 
to  Europe.  Tacitus  speaks  of  the  great  number  of  Jews  dwelling  in 
Rome  as  exciting  the  jealousy  of  the  government. — Je^ws  and  prose- 
lytes. This  has  reference  to  all  the  countries  contained  in  the  cata- 
logue. The  proselytes  were  converts  from  heathenism  who  had  been 
circumcised  and  kept  the  Law. 

Ver.  11.  Cretans  and  Arabians.  He  turns  Eastward  again. 
In  Crete  the  Jews  were  very  numerous.  Arabia,  bordering  on  the 
Holy  Land,  of  course,  counted  among  its  inhabitants  many  Israelites. 
The  mighty  works  of  God.     Perhaps  they  described  the  grand 


14  ACTS  II.  [2 :  12,  13. 

12  our  tongues  the  mighty  works  of  God.     And  they 
were  all  amazed,  and  were  perplexed,  saying  one  to 

13  another.  What  meaneth   this  ?     But  others    mocking 
said,  They  are  filled  with  new  w^ine. 

mission  of  Israel,  rehearsed  the  great  facts  of  Christ's  life  proving  him 
to  be  the  Messiah  and  exhibited  the  purposes  of  God  concerning  the 
world's  redemption.  In  some  of  these  Pentecostal  utterances,  the 
outlines  of  the  arguments  of  the  great  epistles  (to  the  Romans  and 
Hebrews,  for  instance)  were  no  doubt  first  sketched  out. 

Vers.  12,  13.  They  -were  all  amazed,  .  .  .  others  mocking 
said,  They  are  filled  -with  ne-w  w^ine.  None  could  deny  the 
altogether  unusual  character  of  the  things  they  had  witnessed ;  but 
while  some  wore  convinced,  others  ascribed  the  strange  power  of  the 
Apostles  to  drunkenness.  The  'new  wine,'  literally  sweet  wine,  was 
probably  that  produced  from  dried  grapes,  by  soaking  them  in  old 
wine,  and  then  pressing  them  a  second  time  (comp.  Hackett).  This 
wine  was  very  intoxicating. 

*  Practical  Notes. — God's  promises  are  often  fulfilled  in  unexpected  ways.  The 
disciples  were  meeting  together  day  by  day  in  expectation  of  Christ's  promise  being 
fulfilled.  But  when  the  Spirit  came,  he  came  suddeuhj.  Re  c.ime  upon  them  praying 
and  ■\\  atching.  '  WatcH  for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not  the  Son  of  Man  cometh.' — 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  an  abiding  presence  in  the  Church  and  will  not  forsake  it.  lie 
makes  Christ  known  to  the  natural  mind,  and  sweetens  and  beautifies  the  heart  with 
love,  holiness  and  hope.  Like  the  wind  he  purifies  and  animates,  and  like  the  fire  he 
consumes  evil  passions  and  enkindles  divine  emotions. — To  be  filled  with  the  Spirit 
was  not  the  sole  prerogative  of  the  Apostles.  It  belongs  to  all  (Acts  2 :  38)  who  will  be- 
lieve, and  he  works  as  wonderfully  now  as  then. — The  gift  of  tongues  has  ceased.  Eut 
the  Spirit  still  gives  a  new  tongue,  the  tongue  which  speaks  the  truth  in  love,  renders 
blessings  for  railings  and  words  of  forgiveness  for  curses. — The  speaking  in  tongues  as 
a  symbol  that  people  of  every  tongue  shall  praise  Christ.  As  the  angels  sang  that  the 
'  good  tidings  of  great  joy '  should  be  to  all  people,  so  at  Pentecost  was  it  symbolically 
shown  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  to  be  poured  out  upon  all  flesh.  This  miraculous  speaking 
in  various  languages,  hallowed  every  language.  Xot  the  Latin  alone  (Roman  Catholics) 
nor  Hebrew,  nor  other  dead  dialects,  but  all  tongues  are  proper  receptacles  for  the 
Bible  revelation  and  vehicles  of  worship  and  praise. — God's  wisdom  overrules  events 
in  unexpected  ways  to  serve  His  purposes.  The  dispersion  of  the  Jews  was  a  divinely 
used  means  for  the  more  rapid  extension  of  the  Gospel.  Their  synagogues  were  in  every 
great  city  ready  for  the  first  preachers,  and  some  of  the  '  devout  men '  who  were  at 
Jerusalem  on  Pentecost,  returned  to  their  homes  M'ith  the  storj^  of  the  wonderful  things 
they  had  witnessed. — Christian  zeal  is  often  misunderstood  and  Christian  fervor  ascribed 
to  false  motives  (vcr.  13).  Christ  was  accused  of  being  in  league  with  the  devil,  the 
Apostles  on  Pentecost  of  being  intoxicated.  A  Christian  may  expect  his  motives  to  bo 
challenged  by  Satan,  commended  by  God. 

Excursus  on  the  Pentecostal  Miracle.- On  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  first  part 
of  the  work  of  the  Founder  of  the  Christian  Church  was  completed  when  the  Holy 


2:  14.]  ACTS  II.  15 

Chapter  2:  14-36. 

Peter  s  Sermon. 

14      But  Peter,  standing  up  with  the  eleven,  lifted  up  his 

Spirit  was  given  by  tlie  Father  to  the  'hundred  and  twentj'.'  A  special  grace  and 
power  were  conferred  on  them ;  but  the  special  power  was  soon  withdrawn  from  men. 
the  grace  remained  for  ever.  The  special  grace  included  a  certain  power  to  work 
miracles  — a  power,  which  was  gradually  withdrawn.  The  first  followers  of  Clirist, 
owed  to  the  Spirit  that  high  wisdom  which  enabled  them  to  lay,  with  rare  skill  and 
gf^nerous  devotion,  the  first  stories  of  the  Christian  faith.— The  gift  of  speaking  with 
tongues,  which  was  the  first  apparent  result  of  the  descent  of  the  Spirit,  was  an  ecstjitic 
expression  of  thanks  and  praise  to  God,  the  glorious  utterance  of  grateful  hearts  con- 
scious of  the  mighty  change  wrought  in  them  bj'  the  Spirit  sent  from  heaven.  The 
speaker,  rapt,  though  not  losing  all  command  of  himself,  not  always  fully  conscious 
of  what  he  was  uttering,  poured  out  his  ecstatic  stream  of  praise,  in  a  language  not 
usually  comprehended  by  the  bystanders.  These  utterances  often  needed  an  interpreter 
(I  Cor.  12:10;  14:27),  though  at  times  the  speaker  Interpreted  for  himself.  The 
speaking  with  tongues,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  differed  only  in  few  particulars  from 
t'le  same  phenomenon  as  described  in  1  Cor.  12:  14.  The  'tongues'  in  the  Corinthian 
Church  needed  an  interpreter,  as  the  utterances  were  in  a  language  not  understood  by 
the  bystanders.  At  Pentecost,  however,  no  such  interpreter  was  needed.  On  that  occa- 
sion, the  inspired  ones  spoke  in  new  languages,  but  each  language  was  comprehended 
by  the  listeners  whether  they  were  from  Rome  or  Africa  or  the  different  parts  of  Asia. — 
The  gift  of  tongues  then  was  one  of  the  special  powers  bestowed  at  Pentecost ;  but  it 
was  by  no  means  a  permanent  and  abiding  ptower  with  any  one.  It  is,  however,  utterly 
at  variance  with  all  early  veconl  to  supi)<)se  tliis  gift  was  a  power  of  speaking  in  various 
languages,  to  be  used  by  the  first  believers  when  they  jjreached  the  Gospel  in  distant 
lands.  The  New  Testament  knows  of  no  such  supernatural  endowment  with  power  to 
preach  the  Gospel  in  languages  which  the  preacher  had  never  learned  On  the  con- 
trary, Paul,  '  who  spoke  with  tongues  more  than  all,'  did  not  understand  the  dialect  of 
Lycaonia  (Acts  14:  11).  Jerome,  also  tells  us  that  Paul  was  accompanied  by  Titus  as 
an  interpreter  (Estius  on  2  Cor.  11) ;  and  Papias  (Eusebius  H.  E.3:  39)  writes  of  Mark, 
as  acting  in  a  like  capacity  to  Peter.  This  power  was  not  used  for  teaching  purposes  in 
Corinth,  as  is  clear  from  1  Cor.  14:  4,  19,  passages  which  totally  exclude  the  idea  that 
it  was  an  instrument  for  missionary  work,  for  the  chief  characteristic  of  such  speaking 
was  that  it  was  unintelligible.  The  man  speaks  mysteries,  prays,  blesses,  gives  thanks 
in  the  Spirit,  hut  no  one  understands  him.  Among  the  earliest  of  these  supernatural 
powers  to  be  withdrawn,  was  the  gift  of  tongues  which  during  the  biith-throes  of 
Christianity  gave  utterance  to  the  rapturous  joy  and  thankfulness  of  the  first  believers. 
It  was  a  power,  however,  which,  if  misused  miglit  lead  men  to  confusion,  to  feverish 
drcamings,  to  morbid  imaginings,  to  a  condition  of  thought  which  would  utterly  unfit 
men  and  women  for  the  earnpst  duties  of  their  several  callings;  in  a  word,  would  lead 
to  a  life  unreal  and  unhealthy.  Thus  this  chapter  was  closed  for  ever,  perhaps  even 
before  the=e  '  hundred  and  twenty '  and  the  generation  who  had  listened  to  their  words 
had  fallen  Jisleep. 

Peter's  Sermon,  vers.  14—36. 
The  few  discourses  preserved  in  the    Acts,   no  doubt  represent  faith- 


16  ACTS  II.  [2:  15-16. 

voice,  and  spake  forth  unto  them,  saying^  Ye  men  of 
Judaea,  and  all  ye  that  dwell  at  Jerusalem,  be  this 

15  known  unto  you,  and  give  ear  unto  my  words.     For 
these  are  not  drunken,  as  ye  suppose ;  seeing  it  is  but 

16  the  third  hour  of  the  day ;  but  this  is  that  which  hath 
been  spoken  ^  by  the  prophet  Joel ; 

1  Or,  through. 

fully  the  characteristic  features  of  early  apostolic  preaching.  They  are 
studiedly  simple  and  usually  contain  several  leading  facts  connected 
with  the  life  and  death  of  Christ.  In  most  cases,  whatever  is  advanced 
is  supported  by  quotations  from  the  Old  Testament.  The  sermon  of 
Peter  falls  naturally  into  three  parts:  (1)  Vers.  14-21.  The  refuta- 
tion of  the  mockers  who  accused  them  of  being  drunken,  by  referring  to 
Joel  who  had  prophesied  of  just  such  an  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  as 
this  they  had  witnessed.  (2)  Vers.  22-28.  Jesus  was  approved  by 
God  as  Messiah  by  his  miracles,  was  crucified  according  to  His  counsel 
but  rose  from  the  dead  in  conformity  with  David's  prediction.  (3) 
Vers.  29-30.  The  proof  that  in  this  prophecy  David  did  not  refer  to 
himself  but  to  Jesus. 

The  Tropliecy  of  the  Outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Ver.  14.  But  Peter,  standing  up  -with  the  eleven.  Augus- 
tine well  calls  attention  to  the  marked  change  in  Pe.ter.  '  More  eagerly 
than  the  rest,  he  rushes  forth  to  bear  Avitness  of  Christ,  and  to  preach 
the  resurrection.  .  .  .  The  same  tongue,  which  at  the  sound  of  one  was 
driven  to  deny  him,  now  inspires  many  thousand  enemies  to  confess 
Christ.     This  was  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit'   (Augustine  in  Ps.  92). 

Ver.  15.  *  These  are  not  drunken,  as  ye  suppose.  The  calm- 
ness and  dignity  of  his  manner  and  language  were  themselves  a  refu- 
tation of  the  charge.  Drunkenness  belonged  to  the  darkness  (1  Thess. 
5:7),  and  was  a  thing  improbable  at  that  hour. — Seeing  it  is  but 
the  third  hour  of  the  day.  The  Jews  divided  the  day  into  twelve 
hours.  The  third  hour  was  about  nine  A.  M.,  and  the  first  of  the  three 
stated  hours  of  prayer,  the  other  two  being  noon,  and  the  ninth  hour, 
when  the  evening  sacrifice  was  offered.  On  feast  days  like  this  it  was 
unusual  for  the  Jews  to  eat  or  drink  until  the  hour  of  morning  prayer 
had  expired. 

"Ver.  16.  This  is  that  which  hath  been  spoken  by  tho 
prophet  Joel.  Namely,  the  speaking  with  tongues,  Joel  was  one  of 
the  very  oldest  prophetic  books,  and  predicted  that  after  enduring 
heavy  sufferings,  the  people  would  be  visited  with  a  copious  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit.  The  quotation  is  from  Joel  2 :  28-32,  and  agrees  more 
nearly  with  the  Greek  translation  (LXX.)  than  with  the  Hebrew 
original. 


2:  17,  18.]  ACTS  11.  17 

17  And  it  shall  be  iu  the  last  days,  saith  God, 

I  will  pour  forth  of  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh : 
And  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy 
And  your  young  men  shall  see  visions. 
And  your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams : 

18  Yea  and   on   my  ^servants  and   on  my  ^hand- 

maidens in  those  days 
Will  I  pour  forth  of  my  Spirit ;  and  they  shall 
prophesy. 

1  Gr.  bondmen.  '^  Gr.  hondmaide/M. 

Ver,  17.  In  the  last  days.  This  expression  was  used  by  the 
Rabbis  for  the  period  of  time  between  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  and 
the  end  of  the  world.  (Thus  it  signifies,  The  age  we  live  in  now,  Heb. 
1 :  2).  The  age  of  Messiah  is  so  termed  in  1  John  2:  18 :  'Little  chil- 
dren, it  is  the  last  time.'  Paul  uses  the  same  term,  2  Tim.  3:  1. — I 
will  pour  forth  of  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh.  This  prophecy 
received  a  partial  and  perhaps  a  special  fulfilment  on  Pentecost ;  but 
the  reference  extends  far  beyond  that  time.  Joel  grasped  only  a  part 
of  the  meaning  of  the  words,  for  his  vision  was  bounded  by  the  chosen 
race.  Peter,  taught  by  the  Spii-it,  saw  the  prophecy  was  being  then  ful- 
filled, and  dimly  caught  sight  of  the  comprehensive  meaning  of  'the 
Spirit  being  poured  out  on  all  flesh.'  At  no  distant  date,  he  was  to 
declare  how  Jew  and  Gentile  were  to  be  alike  heirs  of  the  kingdom. 
*But  not  till  after  the  vision  on  the  house  top  of  Joppa  which  shewed 
him  that  the  distinction  between  clean  and  unclean  was  abolished  (Acts 
10). — And  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy.  A 
prediction  amply  fulfilled  in  the  age  of  the  Apostles.  We  think  of  the 
four  virgin  daughters  of  Philip  'which  did  prophesy,'  (Acts  21;  9),  of 
Agabus,  (11:  28),  and  of  such  passages  as  Acts  19:  6;  1  Cor.  14. — 
Your  young  men  shall  see  visions.  Such  as  Stephen  saw  at 
Jerusalem  (Acts  7:  55),  and  Peter  at  Joppa  (Acts  10:  10),  and  Paul  on 
the  Damascus  road  (Acts  9:  3). — Your  old  men  shall  dream 
di earns.  As  perhaps  John  did  when  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day 
at  Patmos  (Rev.  1 :  10). 

Ver.  18.  And  on  my  servants  and  on  my  haudmaidens. 
No  mere  priestly  class  or  slave  class  is  spoken  of  here.  Those  who 
were  servants  of  Christ  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  upon  them  the  Spirit 
was  to  be  poured  out,  both  men  and  women.  ^The  equal  position 
here  accorded  to  women  deserves  notice.  Miriam  and  Hannah  had 
prophesied  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  other  women  as  Sarah,  Deborah 
and  Esther  acted  a  great  part.  But  in  the  Gospels  women  stand  forth 
as  honored  by  the  Lord,  and  the  Acts,  in  the  first  mention  of  the  disci- 
ples, speaks  of  'the  women'  and  afterwards  mentions  them  as  equal 
sharers  of  the  gift  of  the  Spirit  and  faithful  co-workers  with  the  Apostles, 


18  ACTS  II.  [2:  19-22. 

19  And  I  will  shew  wonders  in  the  heaven  above, 
And  signs  on  the  earth  beneath ; 

Blood,  and  fire,  and  vapour  of  smoke : 

20  The  sun  shall  be  turned  into  darkness, 
And  the  moon  into  blood, 

Before  the  day  of  the  Lord  come. 
That  great  and  notable  day  : 

21  And  it  shall  be,  that  whosoever  shall  call  on  the 

.  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved, 

22  Ye  men  of  Israel,  hear  these  words  :  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
a  man  approved  of  God  unto  you  by  ^mighty  works 
and  wonders  and  signs,  Avhich  God  did  by  him  in  the 

1  Gr.  powers. 

as  for  example,  Dorcas,  Lyclia,  Priscilla.  The  early  Church  recognized 
the  principle  that  'in  Christ  thei-e  is  neither  bond  nor  free,  no  male  and 
female'    (Gal.  3:  28). 

Ver.  19,  20.  Before  the  da/  of  the  Lord  come,  that  great 
and  notable  day.  The  Messianic  dispensation,  has  two  aspects — 
grace  and  mercy,  but  also  judgment  and  punishment.  The  glorious 
blessings  to  be  poured  out  have  just  been  mentioned.  Now  the  awful 
punishment  is  also  declared.  Pentecost  and  the  outpouring  of  grace 
were  a  partial  fulfilment  of  the  prophecjf  of  the  blessing.  The  fall  of  Jeru- 
salem, and  the  unsurpassed  misery  and  horror  which  attended  the  siege, 
and  its  crushing  result,  were  a  partial  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  of  the 
curse.  But  neither  Pentecost  and  the  miraculous  powers  on  the  one 
hand,  nor  the  fatal  siege  and  deadly  war  on  the  other  have  exhausted 
the  prophecy  of  Joel.  The  complete  fulfilment  still  tarries  and  will 
assuredly  precede  that  awful  day  of  the  Lord,  the  day  of  the  last  judg- 
ment, the  time  of  which  is  known  to  the  Father  only. 

Ver.  21.  And  it  shall  be,  that  whosoever  shall  call  on  the 
name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved.  Peter  turning  from  theology 
to  life,  speaks  of  the  Gospel  and  tells  all  races  and  ages,  that  the  Lord 
could  save  all  who  call  upon  Him.  *It  is  hit  cresting  to  remember  that 
an  illustration,  if  not  a  confirmation,  occurred  at  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  when  the  Christians, warned  of  that  event,fled  to  Pella  and 
were  saved. 

Jesus  and  the  Resurrection,  a  Fulflment  of  David's  Prophecy. 

Ver.  22.  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  The  words  *  of  Nazareth '  are  added 
as  his  usual  designation,  the  name,  'Jesus'  not  being  an  uncommon  one. 
It  was  the  title  affixed  to  the  cross*  and  perhaps  a  title  of  scorn  (John 
1 :  46).  The  fearlessness  of  Peter  can  not  be  overestimated  in  urging 
this  name  before  those  who  had  only  so  short  a  time  before  crucified 


2 :  23,  24.]  ACTS  II.  19 

23  midst  of  you,  even  as  ye  yourselves  know;  him,  being 
delivered  up  by  the  determinate  counsel  and  fore- 
knowledge of  God,  ye  by  the  hand  of  Mawless  men 

24  did  crucify  and  slay  :  whom  God  raised  up,  having 
loosed  the  pangs  of  death  :  because  it  was  not  possible 

1  Or,  nien  uithoul  the  law. 

Christ.  But  this  name  was  central  in  the  preaching  of  the  Apostles 
(Acts  3:  IG;  4:  10,  etc.). — A  mau  approved  of  God  unto  you  by- 
mighty  works  aud  wondera  and  signs.  That  is,  divinely 
accredited  as  Messiah.  It  is  Jsicodemus'  argument  over  again.  *  We 
know  that  thou  art  a  teacher  come  from  God :  for  no  man  can  do  these 
signs  that  thou  doest,  except  God  be  with  him'  (John  3:  2).  *These 
are  the  miracles  of  Christ.  The  first  word  brings  out  the  idea  of  the 
divine  power  displayed  in  the  miracle,  the  second  its  adaptation  to  ex- 
cite surprise  and  wonder,  the  third  the  thought  of  its  being  an  evidence 
of  the  supernatural. 

Yer.  23.  Him,  being  delivered  up  by  the  determinate 
counsel  and  foreknowledge  of  God.  Christ's  death  was  not 
man's  work  alone.  It  was  part  of  God's  plan  and  was  done  in  accordance 
with  God's  own  design.  The  Old  Testament  pi-ojihecies  had  minutely 
described  the  very  details  of  the  tragedy  of  Calvary  (Isa.  52:  13-15; 
53;  Zech.  11:  12;  12:  10;  13:  7).— Ye  by  the  hand  of  lawless 
men  did  crucify  and  slay,  that  is,  thnjugh  the  instrumentality  of 
Pilate  and  the  Roman  soldiers  employed  in  the  crucifixion.  But  the 
guilt  of  it  is  yours.  There  could  have  been  no  condemnation  of  Christ 
Avithout  the  consent  of  the  people.  Nay  it  was  from  them  that  the  cry 
had  gone  up,  'Crucify  Him!'  and  Pilate  in  vain  endeavored  to  save 
his  life  and  deter  them  from  the  crime.  *This  is  one  of  the  most  keen 
and  searching  arraignments  of  crime  in  all  history,  and  reminds  us  of 
Nathan  before  David  (2  Sam.  12:  7)  in  the  Old  Testament.  Nothing 
could  be  sharper  and  bolder. 

Ver.  24.  Whom  God  raised  up.  The  resurrection  was  no  device 
or  invention  of  the  disciples  as  the  chief  priests  tried  to  make  the 
people  believe  (Matt.  28:  13).  The  remainder  of  the  discourse  dwells 
exclusively  on  this  theme.  So  much  hung  on  it.  (1)  It  was  the  centre  of 
that  grand  redemption  scheme  Peter  and  others  were  beginning  to  catch 
flint  dim  glimpses  of.  The  Lord  whom  they  had  known  on  earth,  was  in- 
deed risen  from  the  dead  and  was  ruling  from  his  throne.  (2)  It  was  the 
pledge  of  man's  immortality,  chasing  away  all  mist  and  cUrkness  from 
the  future, /or  they  had  seen  one  like  themselves  die,  had  seen  kim  again 
risen  froin  the  dead. — Having  loosed  the  pangs  of  death.  Peter 
probably  used  the  Hebrew  words,  which  signify  cords  of  death.  Luke, 
in  his  report,  gives  the  Greek  translation  (LXX.rdf  uS'ivaq  rov  Oavdrov), 
pangs  of  death.  The  idea  is  that  death  was  a  painful  condition,  because 
the  lx)dy  was  threatened  with  corruption,  and  that  consequently  these 
pains  were  loused  when  the  body  was  raised  and  delivered  from  corrup- 


20  ACTS  II.  [2:  25-27. 

25  tliat  he  should  be  holden  of  it.     For  David  saith  con- 
cerning him, 

I  beheld  the  Lord  always  before  my  face ; 
For  he  is  on  my  right  hand,  that  I  should  not  be 
moved : 

26  Therefore   my  heart  was  glad,  and   my   tongue 

rejoiced; 
Moreover  my  flesh  also  shall  ^  dwell  in  hope  : 

27  Because  thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  Hades, 
Neither  wilt  thou  give  thy  Holy  One  to  see  cor- 
ruption. 

1  Or,  tahemacle. 

tion  (comp.  Lechler  in  Lange).  *  Another  explanation  is  that  the  resur- 
rection was  like  a  new  birth  from  the  womb  of  death  (Col.  1 :  18). — It 
was  not  possible  that  be  should  be  holden  of  It.  Death  could 
have  no  real  power  over  him,  who  was  deathless,  as  the  words  of  the 
following  Psalm  (16.)  quoted  verbatim  from  the  Greek  translation 
(LXX.)  show. 

Ver.  25.  David  saith  concerning  him.  A  confirmation  that 
death  could  not  hold  the  'Holy  One  of  God,'  is  drawn  from  the  Old 
Testament.  The  sure  hope  of  immortality  is  the  spirit  of  the  Psalm  ; 
but  as  Peter  shows,  the  Psalm  could  not  refer  to  David  who  '  saw  corrup- 
tion' (Acts  13 :  36).  It  was  of  Jesus  that  the  Holy  Ghost  by  the  mouth 
of  David  wrote. 

Ver.  26.  Therefore  my  heart  was  glad.  The  Messiah's  glad 
consciousness  on  earth  of  his  oneness  with  the  Father.  Compare  the 
words  of  Jesus  at  the  raising  of  Lazarus  (John  11:  42),  'I  knew  that 
Thou  hearest  me  always.' — And  my  ton  gue  rejoiced.  The  Hebrew 
has  my  glory  (Ps.  16:  9).  Wordsworth  remarks  that  the  paraphrase 
of  the  Greek  translation  (LXX.)  'my  tongue,'  was  very  appropriate  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  when,  in  a  special  manner,  the  tongues  of  the 
Apostles  Avere  made  instruments  for  declaring  God's  glory. — Moreover 
my  flesh  also  shall  dwell  in  hope.  His  very  body  would  rest  m 
the  grave  only  as  in  a  tent,  which  is  the  same  word  as  'dwell'  in  the 
original.     The  ground  of  this  hope  appears  in  the  next  verse. 

Ver.  27.  Thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  Hades.  This  was 
the  Pvedeemers  sure  confidence  during  his  earthly  life.  Hades  is  'the 
abode  where  the  souls  of  the  dead  dwell'  after  body  and  soul  are 
separated  by  death.  In  this  realm  will  remain  until  the  general  resur- 
rection, the  souls  both  of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  though  widely 
separate — ^the  former  dwelling  in  the  regions  of  the  blessed ;  the  latter, 
in  those  of  the  lost. — Neither  wilt  thou  give  thy  Holy  One  to 
see  corruption.  That  part  of  the  ciirse  of  Adam  which  told  man  he 
should  return  to  du.st  was  not  to  be  fulfilled  in  Christ. 


2:  28-30.]  ACTS  II.  21 

28  Thou  madest  known  unto  me  the  ways  of  life ; 
Thou  shalt  make  me  full  of  gladness  Svith  thy 

countenance. 

29  Brethren,  I  may  say  unto  you  freely  of  the  patriarch 
David,  that  he  both  died  and  was  buried,  and  his  tomb 

30  is  with  us  unto  this  day.  Being  therefore  a  prophet, 
and  knowing  that  God  had  sv/orn  with  an  oath  to  him, 
that  of  the  fruit  of  his  loins  ^he  would  set  one  upon 

1  Or,  in  thy  presence.  2  Qr,  one  should  sit. 

Ver,  28.     Thou  madest  known  unto  me  the  ways  of  life. 

The  thoughts  of  the  Redeemer  on  earth  are  still  being  expressed.  He 
knew  when  he  had  endured  the  agony  of  the  cross,  and  was  laid  in  the 
grave,  death  would  be  powerless  to  hold  him.  The  ways  of  life  to  him 
meant  the  resurrection  and  the  ascension. — Thou  shalt  make  me  full 
of  gladness  with  thy  countenance.  To  the  gladness  he  had 
before  the  world,  was  added  the  joy  of  redeeming  the  world.  It  was  for 
that  'joy  which  was  set  before  him,  that  he  endured  the  cross,  despising 
the  shame,  and  is  set  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God' 
(Heb.  12:  2). 

Not  David  but  Jesus  Fulfilled  this  Prophecy. 

Ver.  29.  *  Brethren.  The  three  different  ways  in  which  Peter 
addressed  his  hearers  in  this  sermon  are  deserving  of  notice.  They  are 
full  of  meaning  as  showing  the  speaker's  skill,  and  as  indicating  the 
power  which  he  secured  over  the  hearers  as  the  sermon  proceeded.  In 
ver.  14,  his  address  'Ye  men  of  Judaea,'  etc.,  refers  merely  to  their 
place  of  residence,  and  nationality  In  ver.  22,  when  he  desires  to  urge 
upon  them  the  meaning  of  Joel's  prophecy  and  appeal  to  their  conscience 
for  having  disregarded  it,  he  addresses  them  '  Ye  men  of  Israel,'  remind- 
ing them  that  they  were  heirs  of  the  promises  and  prophecies  of  Israel. 
Having  quoted  two  prophecies  and  spoken  of  the  crucifixion  and  resur- 
rection as  In  accord  with  them,  lie  draws  close  to  the  audience  as  a 
fellow-heir  of  the  promises  of  Abraham,  and,  perhaps  feeling  the  change 
that  was  about  to  overcome  their  hearts,  appeals  to  them  as  'Brethren.' 
— I  may  say  unto  you  freely  of  the  patriarch  David.  Let  me 
speak  without  fear  of  being  thought  unjust  to  the  great  memory  of  the 
royal  patriarch. — That  he  both  died  and  was  buried,  and  his 
tomb  is  with  us  No  one  ever  pretended  that  David  had  risen ;  his 
tomb  in  Jerusalem,  all  knew.  It  was  violated  by  the  hicrh  priest,  John 
Hyrcanus,  and  also  by  Herod  the  Great.  The  first  found  a  treasure  of 
money,  the  second  some  gold  furniture  in  it  Jerome  (d.  420)  tells  us 
that  it  was  visited  in  his  day. 

Ver.  30  Being  therefore  a  prophet.  'In  the  stricter  sense,  a 
foreteller  of  future  evcLts  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit'  (Alford). 


22  ACTS  II.  [2:  31-34. 

31  his  throne ;  he  foreseeing  tkis  spake  of  the  resurrrction 
of  the  Christ,  that  neither  was  he  left  in  Hades,  nor 

32  did  his  flesh  see  corruption.     This  Jesus  did  God  raise 

33  up,  Svhereof  we  all  are  witnesses.  Being  therefore 
^by  the  right  hand  of  God  exalted,  and  having 
received  of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
he  hath  poured  forth  this,  which  ye  see  and   hear. 

34  For  David  ascended  not  into  the  heavens :  but  he  saith 
himself, 

The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  on  my 
right  hand, 

1  Or,  of  whom.  2  Or,  at. 

Jesus  speaks  of  David  writing  'in  the  Spirit'  (Matt.  22:  43). — That 
of  the  fruit  of  his  loins  he  would  set  one  upon  his  throne. 
The  words  of  Nathan  (2  Sam.  7:  12,  13)  and  Ps.  132:  11,  12.  From 
these  he  must  have  gathered. that  no  mere  man  among  his  descendants 
could  ever  establish  the  throne  of  his  kingdom  for  eve7\{p.  Sam.  7:  13), 
or  sit  upon  his  throne/or  evermore  (Ps.  132:  12). 

Yer.  32.  This  Jesus  did  God  raise  up.  Looking  back  to  vcr. 
23,  this  Jesus  who,  as  you  know  was  crucified  and  buried,  has  fulfilled 
the  details  of  this  marvellous  prophecy,  yea  is  risen  again.  With  an 
orators  power  and  emphasis,  he  repeats  the  words  'this  Jesus'  in  ver. 
30. — "Whereof  vve  all  are  -witnesses.  No  doubt  here  pointing  to 
the  'hundred  and  twenty,'  on  whom  the  gift  of  the  Spirit  had  fallen, 
and  who  had  seen  the  Lord  after  the  resurrection. 

Ver.  33.  Being  therefore  by  the  right  hand  of  God  exalted. 
The  quotation  from  Ps.  10,  broke  off  in  the  middle  of  the  eleventh  verse, 
with  a  general  expression  of  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  Father.  Peter 
now  having  spoken  of  the  literal  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  respecting 
death  being  powerless  to  hold  Jesus,  takes  up  the  interrupted  thread  of 
the  Psalm,  and  speaks  of  his  exaltation. 

Ver.  34.  For  David  ascended  not  into  the  heavens.  The 
preacher,  fearful  lest  any  might  still  suspect  that  David  was  the  One 
spoken  of  in  the  Psalm  he  had  been  quoting,  quotes  again  from  the  110th 
Psalm,  where  David  speaks  more  definitely  about  the  throne  at  God's 
right  hand,  and  unmistakably  identifies  the  One  who  should  sit  there 
as  his  Lord  (ver.  1),  as  the  looked-for  Messiah  (vers.  1-7).  Peter,  no 
doubt,  remembered  how  Jesus  had  l)efore  quoted  the  same  110th  Psalm 
(Matt.  23:  43). — Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand.  Dr.  Hackett  quotes 
from  Prof.  Stuart,  who  remarks :  '  In  the  New  Testament  where  Christ 
is  represented  as  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  Divine  Majesty  (Heb.  1  : 
3).  or  at  ihc  right  hand  of  God  (Acts  2:  33,  and  Heb.  10:  12),  or  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God  (Heb.  12:  2),  participation  in  supreme 
dominion  is  most  clearly  meant'   (comp.  1  Pet.  3:  22,  etc.). 


2:  35,  3G.]  ACTS  II.  23 

35  Till  I  make  thine  enemies  the  footstool  of  thy  feet. 

30  Let  ^all  the  house  of  Israel  therefore  know  assuredly, 

that  God  hath  made  him  both  Lord  and  Christ,  this 

Jesus  whom  ye  cru'cified. 

1  Or,  every  house. 

*  Ver.  35.  Footstool  of  thy  feet.  A  somewhat  awkward  expres- 
sion in  English,  but  the  exact  translation  of  the  Greek  (see  Matt.  5:  35; 
Acts  7:  49;  Heb.  1:  13,  etc.).  Only  in  one  instance  is  the  simple  ex- 
■prcssion  footsfool  [v-o-ochov)  used  (James  2:  3).  The  Revisers  were, 
therefore,justified  in  translating  as  they  have  done. 

Ver.  3G.  Let  all  the  bouse  of  Israel  therefore  know  assur- 
edly. Conclusion  of  the  sermon.  The  argument  has  been  based  upon 
prophecies,  with  which  his  hearers  were  familiar.  Having  proved  that 
the  manifestations  of  the  day  of  Pentecost  and  the  resurrection  and 
ascension  of  Christ  were  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy,  he  emphasizes  the 
fact  by  the  word  assuredbj  which  in  the  Greek  stands  first. — God  hath 
made  him  both  Lord  and  Christ.  God  hath  made  him  Lord  of 
all  {Acts  10 :  36 ;  Eph.  1 :  21,  22)  by  exalting  him  to  His  right  hand,  and 
Christ  (the  Greek  equivalent  for  the  Hebrew  'Messiah,'  the  'Anointed') 
the  One  whom  Israel  looked  forward  to  as  its  Deliverer. — *ThiB  Jesus 
VT^hom  ye  crucified.  A  startling  conclusion  pressing  home  to  their 
consciences  the  awful  guilt  of  putting  to  death  their  Messiah,  the  Anointed 
One  of  God.  This  reminds  us  of  the  tragic  sentence  of  John  1:  11, 
'  He  came  unto  his  own  and  they  that  were  his  own  received  him  not.' 

*  Practical  Notes. — God  makes  provision  for  the  exigency  of  the  Church.  Christ 
was  ascended,  and  his  miraculous  voice  withdrawn.  But  the  fishermen  of  Galilee, 
inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit  carry  on  his  work  in  a  wonderful  way.  The  change  in 
Peter  is  marvellous.  Only  a  few  days  ago  he  shrank  before  a  woman  and  denied  the 
Lord.  Now  he  stands  up  before  a  great  audience  and  charges  it  with  the  crime  of  the 
crucifixion.  His  address  was  courteous  but  candid,  full  of  the  tenderness  of  the  Gospel, 
and  with  no  spirit  of  revenge,  but  fearless.  In  these  points  it  is  a  model  to  us.—  Christ 
ill  dying  and  ascending  fulfilled  the  Prophets  and  so  did  Pentecost.  This  is  the  main 
thought  of  the  sermon.  Jesus  had  spoken  in  that  same  strain  to  the  disciples  after  the 
resurrection:  'Ought  not  Christ  to  have  suffered?'  etc.,  (Luke  24:26).  The  New 
Testament  lies  hid  in  the  Old.  By  the  skilful  treatment  of  Peter  under  the  influence 
of  the  Spirit,  the  veil  was  to  be  removed  from  it  for  many  in  his  audience.— The  eei  mon 
of  Peter  contains  the  two  elements  requisite  in  all  effective  preaching, — exposition  of 
the  Word  and  the  testimony  of  experience.  Or,  as  it  may  also  be  put,  thorough  acquaint- 
ance with  the  letter,  and  thorough  conviction  of  the  truth,  of  Scripture — Christ's  df-ath 
and  sufferings  were  a  pait  of  a  great  jilan  for  man's  redemption.  It  was  written  of  him 
that  he  should  die  (Matt.  26:  24).  God  foreknew  it  and  permitted  the  crime  of  Judas 
and  the  people.  But  it  was  necessary  for  Jesus  to  die  for  the  weal  of  the  world. — The 
grave  to  the  believer  as  to  Christ  is  not  an  iron  prison,  but  a  tent  (ver.  26)  in  which 
the  body  tarries  for  a  while.  'The  house  not  made  with  hands*  is  beyond  (2  Cor.  5: 
1).  Christ  conquered  death,  and  lives!  His  life  is  the  surety  and  pledge  of  otus 
(John  14 :  19). 


24  ACTS  IT.  [2 !  37,  38. 

Chapter  2:  37-42. 
Effect  of  Peter^s  Sermon. 

37  IS'ow  when  they  heard  this,  they  were  pricked  in  their 
heart,  and  said  unto  Peter  and  the  rest  of  the  apostles, 

38  Brethren,  what  shall  we  do  ?  And  Peter  said  unto 
them.  Repent  ye,  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  unto  the  remission  of  your 
sins ;  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Effect  of  Peter' s  Sermori,  vers.  37-42. 

*  Luke  here  relates  what  was  the  fruit  of  the  sermons,  that  we  may 
know  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  displayed  not  merely  in  the  variety  of 
tongues,  but  in  the  heai'ts  too  of  those  who  heard'  (Calvin). 

Ver.  37.  They  were  pricked  in  their  heart.  Not  necessarily 
all  who  heard ;  but  at  least,  the  three  thousand.  They  were  stung  with 
remorse  for  crucifying  the  Messiah  and  having 'been  dull  to  understand 
the  Old  Testament. — Brethren.  This  friendly,  courteous  address 
showed  how  their  hearts  were  moved.  It  was  not  so  they  had  addressed 
the  Apostles  before,  when  they  contemptuously  mocked  them,  and  said, 
'These  men  are  full  of  new  wine'  (ver.  13). — *'What  shall  we  do  ? 
An  anxious  inquiry  how  to  be  free  from  so  great  guilt  and  avert  the 
divine  wrath  against  them. 

Vers.  38-40.  The  exquisite  tact  and  courtesy  so  marked  in  the  apos- 
tolic letters  and  sermons,  is  very  remarkable  in  this  little  summary. 
Peter  forbears  all  reproach,  for  the  people  were  fully  conscious  of  their 
guilt.  He  now  invites  them  to  join  the  company  of  believers,  and  offers 
to  them  the  glorious  promises  he  had  been  telling  them  of. 

Ver.  38.  Repent  ye.  The  Greek  word  /isravo^aa-e  does  not  signify 
merely  sorrow  for  sin,  but  a  change  of  mind.  Alford  well  puts  it: 
'  Here  the  change  was  to  be  from  thinking  Jesus  an  impostor  and  scorn- 
ing him  as  one  crucified,  to  being  baptized  in  his  name  and  looking  to 
him  for  the  remission  of  sins  and  the  gift  of  the  Spii'it.'  *The  preach- 
ing of  the  Apostles  opens  with  the  same  word, '  Repent  ye,'  as  the  preach- 
ing of  John  the  Baptist  (Matt.  3:  2).  This  was  in  accordance  with  the 
direction  of  the  risen  Lord  (Luke  24:  47). — Be  baptized.  The  rito 
of  baptism  was  well  known  to  the  Jews :  had  been  practised  by  Jolin 
the  Baptist  and  the  disciples  (John  4:  1,  2),  and  commanded  by  Christ 
(Matt.  28:  19).— In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Their  belief  in 
Jesus  was  the  ground  on  which  they  were  to  be  baptized  (Meyer).  The 
usual  expression  is  'to  be  baptized  into  the  name'  (el^),  chap.  8:  16; 
Matt.  28:  19,  etc.  It  has  been  suggested  (De  Wette;  Hackett)  that  ettc 
(in)  was  chosen  here  for  the  sake  of  euphony,  as  elg  occurs  in  the  next 
clause  (fif  d^eaff),  'for  the  remission.' — *Unto  the  remission.  In 
ordex  that  your  sins  may  be  forgiven.     Forgiveness  is  promised  on  con- 


2:  39-42.]  ACTS  II.  25 

39  For  to  you  is  the  promise,  and  to  your  children,  and  to 
all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God 

40  shall  call  unto  him.  And  with  many  other  words  he 
testified,  and  exhorted  them,  saying.  Save  yourselves 

41  from  this  crooked  generation.  They  then  Hhat  re- 
ceived his  word  were  baptized :  and  there  were  added 
2into  them  in  that  day  about  three  thousand     souls. 

42  And  they  continued  stedfastly  in  the  apostles'  teaching 

1  Or,  having  received. 

dition  of  repentance.  John's  baptism  was  unto  repentance  (Matt. 
3:  11). 

Ver.  39.  For  to  you  is  the  promise.  The  promise  contained 
in  the  prophecy  of  Joel,  viz.,  the  miraculous  gifts  and  influences  of  the 
Spirit. — And  to  all  that  are  afar  off.  The  reference  is  not  to  their 
posterity,  but  to  the  Gentiles.  The  expression,  an  Old  Testament  one 
(Zech.  »i:  15;  Isa.  57:  19),  is  constantly  used  to  describe  the  Gentiles. 
The  rabbinic  writers  employ  it  in  the  same  way  (Schiittgen  quoted  by 
Hackett);  and  also  Paul,  (Eph.  2:  13,  17).  The  admission  of  the  Gen- 
tiles into  the  Church  of  the  future,  was  constantly  taught  with  more  or 
less  distinctness  by  the  prophets  (Micah  4:1;  Isa.  2:  2,  3,  etc.).  This 
wide  application  of  the  Gospel  they  learned  from  the  Master  (Matt.  28: 
19;  'make  disciples  of  all  the  nations'),  but  narrowness  of  spirit  early 
showed  itself  in  the  Church,  and  Peter  had  to  be  anew  impressed  with 
the  world-wide  signific;Tnce  of  the  Gospel  by  a  vision  (Acts  11). — Even 
as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call.  This  saying  of  an 
inspired  Apostle,  leads  to  the  certain  conclusion  that  in  the  wise  counsels 
of  God  some  are  called,  while  others  are  left  out  of  the  divine  invitation. 
A  solemn  lesson  lies  on  the  surface.  Awful  is  the  responsibility  which 
attaches  itself  to  those  whom  the  Lord  shall  call.  Woe  be  to  them  if 
they  neglect  the  blessed  invitation. 

Ver.  40.  With  many  other  words.  'The  words  cited  appear 
only  to  be  the  concluding  summary  of  Peter's  many  exhortations'  (Al- 
ford). — From  this  crooked  generation — that  is,  from  the  Jewish 
people  who  had  filled  up  the  cup  of  their  iniquity  by  the  murder  of 
Christ  and  were  doomed  to  destruction.  The  word  signifies  moral  and 
religious  perverseness  (Deut.  32:  5;  Phil.  2:  15). 

Ver.  41.  They  then  that  received  his  word  were  baptized, 
etc.  It  is  not  likely  that  three  thousand  could  have  been  immersed  in 
one  day  in  Jerusalem,  where  the  supply  of  water  was  not  abundant. 
This  first  baptism  probably  was  administered  by  sprinkling  or  pouring. 
It  is  noteworthy  that  '  the  baptized '  could  have  received  little  or  no 
instruction  in  the  faith.  In  this  case  instruction  must  have  followed 
baptism. 

Ver.  42.     They  continued  stedfastly  in  the  apostles'  teach- 


26  ACTS  11.  [2:  43. 

and   ^fellowship,  in  the  breaking  of  bread  and  the 
prayers. 

Chapter  2:  43-47. 

The    Church  in  Jerusalem. 

43      And  fear  came  upon  every  soul :  and  many  wonders 

1  Or,  m  fellowship. 

ing.  These  naturally  sought  to  know  more  and  more  of  the  sayings, 
deeds  and  commandments  of  Jesus. — And  fellowship.  Three  signi- 
fications have  been  proposed  for  this  word  fellowship, — (a)  brotherhood 
one  with  the  other;  [h)  distribution  of  money  and  food  among  the 
society;  (c)  communion,  in  the  sense  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  The  second 
(i)  meaning  has  most  in  its  favor  and  such  passages  as  Rom.  15:  26; 
2  Cor.  8 :  4,  and  also  Heb.  13 :  10,  seem  decisive  for  it. — In  the  break- 
ing of  bread.  The  Lord's  Supper.  A  meal  was  taken  in  common  by 
the  brethren,  accompanied  bj'  the  celebration  of  the  Eucharist,  follow- 
ing the  example  of  the  last  supper  of  the  Lord. — And  the  prayers. 
The  prayers  and  Psalms  of  the  old  Jewish  ritual,  together  with  new 
supplications  in  which  Jesus  was  invoked  as  Lord. 

*  Practical  Notes. — Repent !  This  was  the  first  exhortation  of  the  Baptist  and  the 
first  exhortation  of  the  first  Christian  sermon.  Bnt  the  story  of  God's  love  and  His 
promise  to  forgive  always  i  recedes  the  call  to  repent.  There  is  no  salvation  without 
repentance.  It  means  turning  away  from  sin  and  setting  the  affections  on  God.— All 
the  various  steps  which  men  take  in  becoming  God's  children  are  here  clcarlj'  indicated. 
Listening  to  the  Word,  startled  hy  the  Word,  an.xious  for  salvation,  baptized  in  the 
name  of  Christ,  using  the  means  of  grace.  Much  knowledge  of  doctrine  is  not  a  con- 
dition of  baptism,  but  a  felt  need  of  help  and  a  willing  reliance  on  the  Saviour. — 
Believers  grow  in  grace  by  a  constant  use  of  the  means  of  grace  (ver.  42).  The  gift  of  the 
Spirit  did  not  do  away  with  the  necessity  of  these  means  for  those  converted  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost.  But  they  met  together  frequently,  sat  under  the  instruction  of  the 
Apostles,  brought  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  vividly  before  their  minds  by  partaking  fre- 
quently of  the  Lord's  Supper  and  used  prayer. — Addition.'?  may  be  expected  to  the  Church 
when  the  Word  is  preached  distinctly  and  boldly,  for  the  Holy  Spirit  is  always  in  the 
Church  — Numbers  may  be  a  very  false  measurement  of  the  Spirit's  influence,  but  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  numbers  were  counted.  Increase  in  the  number  of  believei-3 
is  one  evidence  of  the  Spirit's  working. 

The  Church  in  Jerusalem,  vers.  43-47. 

The  believers  were  no  mere  handful  of  men  and  women  now.  A  large 
proportion  of  the  three  thousand  doubtless  were  dwellers  in  the  city, 
and  these  now  were  con.stantly  Avith  the  Apostles,  hearing  from  them 
what  the  Master  had  taught  during  his  life  on  eai'th.  The  fame  of  the 
new  society  spread  abroad,  and  daily  fresh  converts  were  added  to  the 
rapidly-growing  Church. 


2:  44-46.]  ACTS  II.  27 

44  and  signs  were  done  ^by  the  apostles^.  And  all  that 
believed  were  together,  and  had  all  things  common  ; 

45  and  they  sold  their  possessions  and  goods,  and  parted 

46  them  to  all,  according  as  any  man  had  need.  And  day 
by  day,  continuing  stedfastly  with  one  accord  in  the 
temple,  and  breaking  bread  at  home,  they  did  take 
their  food  with  gladness  and  singleness  of  heart,  prais- 

1  Or,  through.     "  Many  ancient  authorities  add  in  Jerusahm ;  and  great  fear  teas  ujion  all. 

Ver.  43.  Fear  came  upon  every  soul.  The  general  iinprcs.^ion 
on  the  piiblic  mind.  A  feeling  of  aAve  was  excited  even  among  tliose 
■who  did  not  join  the  company  of  believers. — Many  wonders  and 
signs  were  done  by  the  apostles.  As  for  example,  the  healing  of 
the  lame  man  (ch.  3). 

Ver.  44.  And  all  that  believed  were  together.  This  means 
that  they  assembled  together. — Had  all  things  common  ;  and  they 
sold  their  possessions,  etc.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  this  was 
an  attempt  to  live  as  nearly  as  possible  the  life  lived  by  Jesus  and  his 
disciples  during  his  ministry  on  earth,  when  literally  they  had  all  things 
common.  This  '  community  of  goods,'  as  it  is  called,  is  referred  to  again 
in  ch.  4:  12  and  5:  1-11.  It  carried  out  the  tetter  of  such  command- 
ments as  'Sell  that  ye  have,  and  give  alms'  (Luke  12:  33),  and  'If  thou 
wouldest  be  perfect,  go,  sell  that  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor'  (Matt. 
19:  21).  But  on  a  careful  exandnation  of  the  Epistles  and  other  por- 
tions of  the  Acts,  it  is  quickly  seen  that  this  community  of  goods  was 
not  universal  even  at  Jerusalem,  much  less  a  necessary  condition  of 
Christian  fellowship.  This  is  clear  from  the  case  of  Ananias  to  whom 
Peter  said  (Acts  5:4):  '  Whiles  it  remained,  did  it  not  remain  thine  own?' 
and  from  the  case  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  John  Mark,  who  was  evidently 
a  person  of  consideration  in  the  Church  and  yet  had  a  house  of  her  own 
in  the  city  (Acts  12:  12).  There  are  no  vestiges  of  the  practice  in  any 
church  outside  of  Jerusalem,  and  Paul  and  James  not  only  never  pub- 
licly urged  on  their  converts  a  renunciation  of  their  rank  or  property, 
but  speak  repeatedly  on  the  aBsumj)tion  that  rich  and  poor  existed  side 
by  side  in  the  churches  (James  2:  1-9:  5:  1-5;  1  Cor.  IG:  2).  On  the 
other  hand  this  extreme  poverty  which  existed  so  generally  in  the  Jeru- 
salem Church,  may  with  certainty  be  attributed  to  this  practice  (See 
Acts  11:  29;  Gal.  2:  10;   1  Cor.  IG:  1). 

Ver.  46.  And  day  by  day,  continuing  stedfastly  with  one 
accord  in  the  teinple.  The  wisdom  of  the  Church  of  the  first  days 
was  conspicuously  shown  in  their  reverent  love  for  the  temple  of  their 
fathers.  This  no  doubt,  in  no  small  degree  contributed  to  their  having 
favor  with  all  the  people.  They  were  no  separatists  but  practised  the 
rites  and  observances  of  the  old  national  religion,  only  supplementing 
those  in  private  with  new  prayers  and  hymns,  and  with  a  constant  repe- 
tition of  the  sayings  of  their  Master  and  daily  breaking  of  bread.     In 


28  ACTS  III.  [2:  47—3:  1. 

47  ing  God,  and  having  favour  with  all  the  people.  And 
the  Lord  added  ^  to  them  day  by  day  those  that  were 
being  saved  *. 

Chapter  3:  1-10. 

Healing  of  the  Lame  Man  at  the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the 
Temple. 

3 :  1     Now  Peter  and  John  were  going  up  into  the  tem- 

1  Gr.  together. 

*  For  •  those  that  were  being  saved '  read  'those  that  were  saved '  with  the  text  in  the 
marg. — Am.  Com. 

heathen  lands,  the  religion  of  the  Crucified,  unfettered  by  sacred  or 
patriotic  memories,  thrcAv  otf  quickly  the  many  restrictions  which  Juda- 
ism in  its  exclusive  spirit  presented  to  any  wide  and  rapid  development. 
Men  like  Paul  and  Apollos  laid  their  rites  and  ordinances  aside,  led  by 
the  Spirit  to  feel  that  these  thi?ir/s  had  done  their  work. — And  breaking 
bread  at  home.  A  single  room  would  no  longer  contain  the  present 
number  of  converts.  They  met  in  smaller  companies  at  ditferent  places, 
receiving  instruction  and  praying  and  singing  together,  and  as  members 
of  a  common  family  closed  their  meeting  with  a  meal,  and  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  Lord's  supper. — With  gladness.  The  calm,  serene  cheer- 
fulness of  the  early  Christian,  even  in  times  of  bitter  persecution,  was 
ever  a  subject  of  much  remark. — *  Singleness  of  heart.  Simplicity 
and  purity  of  spirit  which  involved  freedom  from  j  ealousy  and  pride  of 
position. 

*  Ver,  47.  Those  that  were  being  saved.  This  does  not  imply 
that  salvation  is  a  protracted  process,  but  simply  means  that  the  Saved 
were  added  to  the  Church.  The  salvation  was  from  the  destruction  of 
that  crooked  generation  to  the  Messiah's  kingdom. 

*  Practical  Notes. — '  Possessions '  ought  always  to  bo  at  the  service  of  God.  A 
consecration  which  does  not  include  them  is,  at  best,  only  partial.  '  Sell  that  thou  hast,' 
need  not  be  takon  literalhj,  but  the  spirit  of  the  injunction  a  Christian  must  heed. — 
Worship  in  the  sanctuary  and  at  home,  the  infallible  evidences  of  repentance  and  faith. 
— The  religion  of  Christ  fills  the  heart  with  '  gladness.'  Christianity  teaches  us  to  look 
upwards  to  the  bountiful  Father,  His  works  of  splendor  and  light,  the  inheritance  in 
glory. — ITappy,  cheerful  Christians  bring  religion  into '  favor '  with  other  people  (2 :  4G). 
Men  will  give  much  for  that  which  brings  a  smile  to  the  face  and  serenity  to  tin;  breast, 
but  want  nothing  of  that  Mhich  seems  to  make  its  possessors  morose. — The  conversion 
on  Pentecost  of  so  many  who  probably  seven  weeks  before  had  .^houted  'crucify  him !' 
should  give  ns  confidence  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  keep  us  from  despairing 
of  the  salvation  of  any. 

Healing  of  the  Lame  Man  at  the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  Temple,  vers.  1-10. 

The  writer  has  spoken  (2 :  46)  of  the  daily  attendance  of  the  followers 


3:  2.]  ACTS  III.  29 

2  pie  at  the  hour  of  prayer,  being  the  ninth  hour.  And 
a  certain  man  that  was  lame  from  his  mother's  womb 
was  carried,  whom  they  laid  daily  at  the  door  of  the 
temple  which  is  called  Beautiful,  to  ask  alms  of  them 

of  Jesus  in  the  temple,  and  of  the  signs  and  wonders  which  were  iDeing 
worked  by  the  Apostles  (ver.  43).  He  now  gives  in  detail  an  account 
of  one  of  these  daily  visits  and  one  of  the  wondrous  works  referred  to. 

Yer.  1 .  Now  Peter  and  John  -were  going  up  into  the  tem- 
ple. These  two  Apostles  are  constantly  mentioned  as  being  together  in 
the  later  portions  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  earlier  ones  of  the  'Acts.' 
They  were  sent  to  prepare  for  the  last  Passover  (Luke  22:  8).  They 
were  present  together  in  the  hall  of  Caiaphas  (John  18:  16).  They 
went  together  to  the  sepulchre  (John  20:  6),  and  the  strongest  affection 
existed  betAveen  them  (tlohn  21 :  21).  They  are  together  often  in  the 
first  part  of  the  Acts,  but  after  chap.  8:  14,  although  Peter  is  men- 
tioned in  this  book  nearly  forty  times,  John  never  appears  again.  Most 
likely  John  about  that  time  ceased  to  reside  in  the  Holy  City. — At  the 
hour  of  prayer,  being  the  ninth  hour.  Three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  the  hour  of  the  evening  sacrifice.  This  was  the  favorite  time 
for  the  J  cAvs  to  go  up  to  the  temple,  as  the  busiest  part  of  the  day  was 
over. 

Ver.  2.  "Whom  they  laid  daily  at  the  door  of  the  temple 
....  to  ask  alma.  Martial  (1 :  112)  tells  us  of  beggars  who  were 
in  the  habit  of  sitting  at  the  gate  of  heathen  temples.  Chrysostom, 
Archbishop  of  Constantinople  (f  400),  recommends  the  practice  as  re- 
gards Christian  charities,  and  on  the  Continent  of  Europe,  beggars  are 
constantly  seen  sitting  at  the  doors  of  Roman  Catholic  churches  asking 
alms. — The  temple.  It  had  been  completely  restored  by  Herod  the 
Great,  the  king  of  the  Jews  at  the  time  of  our  Lord's  birth.  At  this 
time  it  was  one  of  the  most  stately  buildings  in  the  world.  Its  outward 
appearance,  as  seen  from  the  Mount  of  Olives,  '  wanted  nothing  that  was 
likel}'^  to  surprise  men's  minds  or  their  eyes;  for  it  was  covered  over 
with  plates  of  gold,  which,  at  the  first  rising  of  the  sun,  reflected  back 
such  a  splendor  as  compelled  those  who  forced  themselves  to  look  upon 
it  to  turn  away  their  eyes,  just  as  they  would  have  done  at  the  sun's 
rays.  This  temple  appeared  to  strangers,  when  they  were  at  a  distance 
like  a  mountain  covered  with  snow,  for  those  parts  of  it  which  were  not 
covered  with  gold  were  exceeding  white'  (Josephus,  Jud.  Bell.  5:  o). 
Its  most  striking  feature  was  not  the  temple  proper,  but  its  courts, 
surrounded  with  cloisters  or  rooms.  The  outer  court,  known  as  the 
'  Court  of  the  Gentiles,'  suiTounded  the  temple  on  each  side  with  clois- 
ters, and  was  laid  with  colored  tesselated  pavement.  A  flight  of  four- 
teen steps  led  from  it — beyond  which  no  Gentile  might  pass— to  the  inner 
court.  This  was  a  square,  divided  into  terraces  which  rose  one  above 
the  other  in  a  westerly   direction  to  the  temple    pro^^er,  which    was 


30  ACTS  III.  [3:  3-6. 

3  that  entered  into  the  temple ;  who  seeing  Peter  and 
John  about  to  go  into  the  temple  asked  to  receive  an 

4  alms.  And  Peter,  fastening  his  eyes  upon  him,  with 
6  John,  said.  Look  on  us.  And  he  gave  heed  unto  them, 
6  expecting  to  receive  something  from  them.     But  Peter 

said.  Silver  and  gold  have  I  none ;  but  what  I  have, 
that  give  I  thee.     In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of 

situated  at  the  western  end  of  the  square.  The  first  terrace  was  termed 
the  'Court  of  the  Women,'  not  because  it  was  exclusively  allotted  to 
them,  hut  because  no  Israelitish  woman  might  advance  farther.  A 
flight  of  tteps  led  to  the  second  terrace,  '  the  Court  of  the  Israelites,' 
which  was  parted  by  a  low  wall  from  a  still  higher  terrace,  *  the  Court 
of  the  Priests.'  This  surrounded  the  temple  and  led  to  it  by  a  flight  of 
twelve  steps.  The  temple  was  built  of  blocks  of  white  marble  covered 
with  ]ilates  of  gold,  and  contained,  besides  other  chambers,  a  vestibule, 
the  Holy  Place  entered  by  a  golden  door,  and  the  Holy  of  Holies.^ 
The  door  .  .  .  v^liich  is  called  Beautiful.  Technically  it  was 
called  the  'Beautiful  Gate'  ver  10.  It  is  not  certain  whether  {a)  this 
refers  to  the  gate  called  '  Nicanor,'  which  led  from  the  court  of  the  Gen- 
tiles to  the  inner  court  of  the  Israelites,  or  {h)  to  the  gate  called  'Shu- 
shan,'  an  outer  gate,  leading  out  from  the  court  of  the  Gentiles.  The 
market  for  the  sales  of  doves  and  animals  for  sacrifice  was  held  close  by 
the  latter.  Josephus,  without  particularizing,  speaks  of  one  of  the 
temple  gates  excelling  all  the  others  in  richness  of  material  and  in 
decoration.  It  was  made  of  Corinthian  bi'ass,  overlaid  with  plates  of 
gold  and  silver,  and  was  fifty  cubits  high. 

Ver.  4  Peter,  fastening  his  eyes  upon  him,  "with  John, 
said,  Look  on  us.  Calvin  says,  the  Apostles  had  not  the  power  of 
working  such  miracles  when  they  pleased,  but  were  so  exclusively 
ministers  of  the  divine  power  that  they  attempted  nothing  of  their  own 
will,  and  the  Lord  worked  through  them  whenever  it  was  expedient. 
The  Holy  Spirit  guided  them  here  just  as  in  other  matters.  -^^The  word 
fastening  is  a  strong  one  and  implies  a  searching  gaze  as  if  to  discover 
the  sincerity  of  the  man's  character  and  the  nature  of  his  need.  The 
same  word  is  used  of  Paul  when  he  fixed  his  eyes  upon  Elymas  the 
sorcerer  (Acts  18:  9),  but  with  a  different  result;  and  when  he  healed 
the  cripple  at  Lystra  (Acts  14:  9),  etc. 

Ver.  5.  And  he  gave  heed  unto  them.  The  suff"erer,  perhaps 
surprised  at  this  unusual  notice  from  a  passer-by,  gazed  up  at  Peter  and 
John  with  rapt  attention,  knowing  he  was  about  to  receive  some  kind- 
ness. Doubtless  he  knew  them  well  by  sight,  having  often  seen  them 
passing  into  the  temple,  and  knew  of  the  miracle  of  Pentecost  and  Peter's 
sermon. 

Yer.  6.  But  Peter  said.  Recognizing  from  something  he  could 
read  in  his  face,  that  here  Avas  true  faith. — Silver  and  gold  have  I 


3:  7-10.]  ACTS  III.  31 

7  Xazaretlij  walk.  And  he  took  him  hy  the  right  liaiid, 
and  raised  him  up :  and  immediately  his  feet  and  his 

8  ankle  bones  received  strength.  And  leaping  up,  he 
stood,  and  began  to  walk ;  and  he  entered  with  thein 
into  the  temple,  w^alking,  and  leaping,  and  praising 

9  God.  And  all  the  people  saw  him  walking  and  prais- 
10  ing  God  :  and  they  took  knowledge  of  him,  that  it  Avas 

he  which  sat  for  alms  at  the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  tem- 
ple :  and  they  were  filled  with  wonder  and  amazement 
at  that  which  had  happened  unto  him. 

none  ;  but  what  I  have,  that  give  I  thee.  Centuries  after, 
Cornelius  a  Lapide  relates  how  Thomas  Aquinas  once  came  to  Pope 
Innocent  IV.  at  a  moment  when  the  pontiff  had  before  him  a  great 
treasure  of  gold.  'See,  Thomas,'  said  Innocent,  'see,  the  Church  can 
no  more  say  as  it  did  in  those  first  days,  "Silver  and  gold  have  I  none."  ' 
'True,  holy  father,'  replied  Thomas  Aquinas,  'but  the  Church  of  the 
present  day  can  hardly  say  to  a  lame  man  what  the  Church  of  the  first 
days  said,  "Arise  and  walk"'  (quoted  by  Wordsworth).  Peter  and 
his  companions  were  complying  literally  with  tlicir  Master's  injunction 
(Matt.  10:  9),  to  carry  neither  goM  nor  silver  in  their  purses. — In  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth,  -walk.  Their  Master  had 
always  used  the  language  of  direct  cummand,  as  in  Luke  5:  24:  'I  say 
unto  thee.  Arise.'  Peter  Avho  cannot  perforin  a  miracle  in  his  own 
strength  invokes  the  "Master's  power  and  commands  in  his  name. 

Ver.  7.  He  took  him  by  the  right  hand.  So  Jesus  had  done 
in  some  cases  (Mark  9:  27).  ' Ofttimes  would  he  heal  with  a  word, 
ofttimes  with  an  act;  frequently,  too,  he  would  stretch  out  his  hand 
where  their  faith  was  too  Aveak'  (Chrysostom). — His  feet  and  hia 
ankle  bones  received  strength.  These  are  words  we  could  only 
expect  from  one  who  had  received  the  professional  training  of  a  physi- 
cian like  Luke  (Col.  4:  14'). 

Yer.  8.  He  entered  with  them  into  the  temple.  His  first 
thought  seems  to  have  been  to  retui-n  thanks  for  his  great  deliverance, 
as  the  next  verse  shows. 

*Ver.  9.  And  all  the  people  saw  him  VT-alking.  He  was 
fully  identified  by  the  people  as  the  helpless  beggar.  The  news  of  this 
'notable  miracle'  spread  through  the  city  (Acts  4:  16),  and  the  author- 
ities could  not  deny  the  evidence.  This  cripple  was  forty  years  old 
when  he  was  healed  (Acts  4:  22),  and  his  case  had  been  looked  upon 
as  incurable. 

*PRAmcAL  XoTF.s. — Miracles  seem  to  have  been  necessary  in  the  early  Church,  in 
order  to  confirm  the  truth  and  commend  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  The  power  scema 
now  to  be  withheld  as  being  nu  longer  necessary.    And  yet  Christ  said  all  things  even 


32  ACTS  III.  [3:  11. 

Chapter  3:  11-26. 
Peter's  Second  Sermon. 
11      And  as  he  held  Peter  and  John,  all  the  people  ran 
together  unto  them  in  the  ^ porch  that  is  called  Solo- 

1  Or,  portico. 

to  the  removal  of  mountains  are  possible  for  him  who  has  fivith.  This  power  did  not 
belong  excusively  to  the  twelve  Apostles.  Philip  the  Evangelist,  also  worked  miracles 
in  Samaria  (Acts  8  :  6).— The  main  office  of  the  Apostles  was  to  preach  the  Gospel.  The 
miracles  were  only  to  serve  the  purpose  of  confirming  their  utterances  by  showing  that 
they  were  endowed  witli  special  power  froui  God. — Our  expectations  are  often  over- 
realized  when  we  ask  of  God.  The  cripple  begged  for  alms  of  gold  and  silver.  He 
was  disappointed  and  yet  received  more  than  he  asked  for  or  expected.  "We  often  ask 
amiss,  but  God  'is  able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that  we  ask  or  think' 
(Eph.  3 :  20). — Health  of  body  is  better  than  glittering  gold.  But  the  salvation  of  the 
Boul  is  more  precious  than  both  and  above  all  price.  The  name  of  Clirist  contains  a 
power  that  silver  and  gold  have  not.  With  it  we  secure  God's  favor  and  a  blessed  im- 
mortality.— The  lame  man  is  a  type  of  the  natural  man.  He  is  spiritually  impotent, 
cannot  rise  into  newness  of  life  without  the  helping  hand  of  grace,  but  receives  new 
life  and  healing  for  the  simple  asking. — rreaching  and  charitable  effort  go  hand  in 
hand  like  John  and  Peter  on  their  way  to  the  temple.  The  Christian  Church  began 
witli  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  statedly  observed  the  forms  of  worship,  fear- 
lessly pr«iched  the  Gospel  and  exercised  a  ministry  of  help  and  charity  by  taking 
notice  of  the  lame  and  needy  in  body. 

Peters  Second  Sermon,  vers.  11-26. 

This  second  sermon  of  Peter  is  even  more  briefly  reported  than  the 
first.  It  must  have  been  originally  a  discourse  of  some  length.  The  last 
division  especially  (vers.  17-26)  has  apparently  been  much  abbreviated. 
The  central  point  is  the  earnest  exhoi-tation  to  the  Jews  to  repentance 
and  faith,  that  they  might  share  in  the  glorious  blessings  of  the  future 
— in  which  blessings  they,  as  the  people  from  whom  Christ  sprang  and 
to  whom  he  was  first  sent,  seemed  especially  invited  to  share.  The 
sermon  falls  into  two  divisions — (a)  11-16.  The  miracle  of  healing  the 
lame  man,  is  a  work  of  God,  done  to  glorify  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
whom  you  crucified  and  God  raised  from  the  dead  ;  {b)  17-26.  But  you 
did  this  deed  in  ignorance,  God  all  the  while  carrying  out  His  design  ; 
so  repent  now,  and  share  in  a  salvation  which  Christ  will  bring — Christ 
"who  will  one  day,  as  your  prophets  have  said,  return. 

Yer.  11.  And  as  he  held  Peter  and  John.  That  is,  while  he 
was  holding  them  fast  or  keeping  near  them,  perhaps,  as"Alford  suggests, 
in  the  ardor  of  his  gratitude,  that  he  might  testify  to  all  who  his  bene- 
factors were. — In  the  porch  that  is  called  Solomon'3.  This 
porch  or  cloister  was  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  court  of  the  Gentiles, 
and  was  built  on  an  artificial  embankment  which  was  the  work  of  King 
Solomon.     It  was  in  this  cloister  that  the  traffic  of  the  money-changers 


3:  12-15.]  ACTS  III.  33 

12  mon's,  greatly  wondering.  And  when  Peter  saw  it,  he 
answered  unto  the  people,  Ye  men  of  Israel,  why  marvel 
ye  at  this  ^  man  ?  or  why  fasten  ye  your  eyes  on  us,  as 
though  by  our  own  power  or  godliness  we  had  made  him 

13  to  walk  ?  The  God  of  Abraham,  and  of  Isaac,  and 
of  Jacob,  the  God  of  our  fathers,  hath  glorified  his 
^Servant  Jesus;  whom  ye  delivered  up,  and  denied 
before  the  face  of  Pilate,  when  he  had  determined  to 

14  release  him.  But  ye  denied  the  Holy  and  Righteous 
One,  and  asked  for  a  murderer  to  be  granted  unto  you, 

15  and  killed  the  ^Prince  of  life ;  whom  God  raised  from 

1  Or,  thing.  2  Qr,  Cfdld :  and  so  in  ver.  26 ;  4:  27,  30.  See  Matt.  12 :  IS ;  Isa.  42 :  1 ; 
52:  13;  53:  11.        ^  Ot,  AuiUor. 

was  carried  on.  According  to  Lightfoot,  the  whole  court  of  the  Geatiles 
was  spoken  of  popular]}-,  at  times,  as  Solomon's  Porch. 

Ver.  12.  He  ans-wered  unto  the  people,  etc.  Peter  answers 
the  people's  unexpressed  wonder  and  inquiring  look,  rather  than  any 
direct  question.  He  denies  that  anything  else  but  the  power  of  the 
name  of  Jesus  had  effected  the  miracle. 

Ver.  13.  The  God  of  Abraham,  and  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob, 
the  God  of  our  fathers.  No  words  could  have  riveted  the'attention 
of  the  people  like  these.  '  We  have  not  done  this  great  thing  which  so 
astonishes  you ;  God  has  done  it.' — Hath  glorified  his  Servant 
Jesus.  The  Messiah  is  constantly  designated  by  this  title,  'Servant  of 
the  Lord'  {Tvalg  Qeov),  in  the  second  part  of  Isaiah  (chaps.  40-66),  as 
the  one  who  carries  out  the  deliberate  plan  of  God  in  the  redemption  of 
the  world.  The  title  is  directly  applied  to  Christ  (Matt.  12:  18)  in  a 
quotation  from  Isaiah  42:  1,  '  Behold  my  Servant,  whom  I  have  chosen,* 
and  occurs  in  the  Acts  four  times  with  the  same  signification  (ver.  26 ; 
4:  27,  30).  It  is  never  conferred  upon  the  Apostles,  and  although  they 
are  called  'servants  of  God'  in  our  version  (James  1:1)  the  Greek 
term  is  a  different  one  {dovAog  Qeov). — "Whom  ye  delivered  up, 
and  denied.  The  picture  Peter  paints  to  the  Jews  of  their  guilt  is 
exceedingly  vivid.  He  piles  up  the  terrible  contrasts.  This  Jesus  God 
hath  glorified,  but  ye  despised.  Pilate,  the  mocking  careless  Roman, 
desired  to  release  him,  but  ye  clamored  for  his  blood.  Ye  were  offered 
(ver.  14)  the  choice  between  a  murderer  and  the  Holy  and  Righteous 
One,  and  ye  chose  the  murderer  (Mark  15:  7;  Luke  23:  19.) 

Ver.  15.  The  Prince  of  life.  Life  here,  in  its  highest  sense,  is 
intended — eternal  life  (see  John  1:4;  5 :  26) ;  but  it  includes  also  phy- 
sical life.  Alford  suggests  the  possibility  that  the  words  may  contain 
an  allusion  to  the  raising  of  Lazarus,  which  was  the  immediate  cause  of 
the  enmity  of  the  rulers  to  Jesus.  -^The  same  word  is  tran.slated  '  author 
of  our  salvation'  (Heb.  2:  10)  and  'author  of  our  faith'  (Heb.  12:  2), 


34  ACTS  III.  [3:  16-18. 

16  the  dead;  Svliereof  we  are  witnesses.  And  ^ by  faith 
iu  his  name  hath  his  name  made  this  man  strong, 
whom  ye  behold  and  know :  yea,  the  faith  which  is 
through  him  hath  given  him   this  perfect  soundness 

17  in  the  presence  of  you  all.  And  now,  brethren,  I  wot 
that  in  ignorance  ye  did  it,  as  did  also  your  rulers. 

18  But  the  things  which  God  foreshewed  by  the  mouth  of 
all  the  prophets,  that  his  Christ  should  suffer,  he  thus 

1  Or,  0/  whom.  2  Or,  on  the  ground  of. 

and  designates  the  person  from  whom  salvation  and  life  flow. — "Where- 
of we  are  v^itnesses.  When  the  Apostles  speak  of  the  resurrec- 
tion they  refer  with  simple  impressiveness  to  the  fact,  that  they  had 
been  witnesses  of  it  as  in  Acts  2:  32. 

Ver.  10.  *By  faith  in  his  name  hath  his  name  made  this 
man  strong.  That  is  our  faith  in  his  name.  The  miracle  was  the 
result  of  the  faith  of  the  Apostles  in  the  name  of  Christ.  The  invoking 
of  that  name  (ver.  6)  was  not  a  mere  formula  of  incantation,  but  the 
coniident  plea  and  petition  of  faith. — Yea,  the  faith  which  is 
through  him  hath  given  him  this  perfect  soundness.  The 
faith  which  Peter  possessed,  and  by  means  of  which  he  had  healed  the 
lame  man,  is  represented  as  the  work  or  gift  of  Christ.  This  first  great 
apostolical  miracle  (1)  was  worked  solely  by  a  perfect  faith  in  .Jesus; 
and  (2)  The  faith  was  the  faith  of  the  Apostles  and  not  of  the  lame  man 
who  was  healed;  it  was  evidently  money,  not  health,  that  he  hoped  to 
receive  from  them.  All  that  can  be  said  of  the  restored  cripple  is,  that 
he  was  an  eminently  fit  subject  for  the  distinguished  mercy  sliown  to 
him.  Peter  and  John,  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  no  doubt  perceived 
this.  His  conduct  after  he  was  restored  to  health  and  strength,  is  a 
sufficient  index  to  his  character. 

Ver.  17.  And  now,  brethren.  Notice  the  Apostle  no  longer 
gravely,  though  courteously,  addresses  the  people  as  'men  of  Israel' 
(ver.  12),  but  aflFectionately  as  'brethren.'  Petei''s  tone  changes.  He 
invites  them  in  spite  of  the  awful  guilt  to  a  share  in  the  benefits  of 
redemption  and  promises  them  the  forgiveness  of  sins. — *In  ignor- 
ance ye  did  it.  Not  recognizing  in  him  their  Messiah,  but  perverted 
under  the  false  interpretations  of  their  spiritual  teachers  to  expect  a 
prince  ruling  over  a  worldly  kingdom  (Acts  13:27).  Their  sin  was 
grievous  but  not  unpardonable. — As  did  also  your  rulers.  Just 
one  word  to  those  Sadduceean  rulers,  in  case  any  of  their  proud  hearts 
had  been  pierced  at  his  narrative  of  the  death  of  Jesus.  It  was  our 
Lord's  words  on  the  cross  which  suggested  the  beautiful  thought  of  this 
17th  verse:  'Father,  forgive  them;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do' 
(Luke  23:  34). 

Ver.  18.  "Which  God  foreshewed  by  the  mouth  of  all  the 
prophets.     From  the  first  promise  of  the  seed  of  the  woman  who 


3:  19-21.]  ACTS  III.  35 

19  fulfilled.  Repent  ye  therefore,  and  turn  again,  that 
your  sins  may  be  blotted  out,  that  so  there  niay  come 
seasons  of  refreshing  from  tlie  presence  of  the  Lord ; 

20  and   that   he   may  send  the  Christ  who   hath    been 

21  appointed  for  you,  even  Jesus :  whom  the  heaven  must 

should  bruise  the  serpent's  head  (Gen.  3:  15).  These  ■svords  of  Peter 
are  not  to  be  understood  as  a  hyperbole  (Kuinoel),  or  in  the  sense  given 
to  them  by  Olshausen,  who,  looking  upon  the  entire  history  of  the  Jews 
as  typical,  in  that  view  maintains  that  all  the  ancient  prophets  prophe- 
sied of  Christ.  Many  of  the  prophets  describe  with  more  or  less  dis- 
tinctness the  sufferings  and  death  of  the  Messiah — all  of  them  looked 
forward  with  sure  hope  to  the  times  of  restoration  and  redemption. 
Our  Lord  had  himself  taught  his  disciples  of  the  Messianic  references 
in  Moses  and  all  the  prophets  (Luke  24:  27). 

Ver.  19.  Repent  ye  therefore.  Seeing,  that  your  guilt,  great 
though  it  be,  does  not  shut  you  out  from  pardon  and  reconciliation  ia 
the  blood  of  the  Messiah,  Avhom  you  crucified.— And  turn  again — 
that  is,  turn  from  your  present  way  of  life  unto  the  Lord  (Acts  9:  35) 
or  unto  God  (Acts  14:  15):  In  chap.  2:  38,  Peter  adds,  'and  be  bap- 
tized;' but  this  naturally  would  be  understood,  in  the  present  instance, 
as  several  thousand  had  so  recently  received  the  rite  of  baptism  imme- 
diately after  their  conversion  to  Christ. — That  your  sins  may  be 
blotted  out,  obliterated,  as  it  were,  from  tlie  book  of  record  where 
they  were  written.  The  same  idea  is  expressed  in  Ps.  61:  9;  Col.  2: 
14.  No  doubt  this  idea  of  'blotting  out'  refers  to  the  baptism  in  the 
name  of  Jesus — the  mystical  washing  away  of  sin. — That  so  there 
may  come  seasons  of  refreshing,  etc.  The  statement  of  Peter 
means  1st.  That  these  times  of  refreshing,  relief,  or  rest  for  the  weary 
after  their  toils  in  the  world,  will  come  when  the  Jewish  people,  as  a 
people,  shall  acknowledge  Jesus  as  Messiah :  and  2d.  That  these  times 
of  refreshing  are  closely  connected  with  the  Second  Coming  of  the  Lord. 
The  second  clause  of  the  statement  (ver.  20)  is  added  to  define  with 
greater  exactness  the  nature  of  the  'times  of  refreshing,'  as  a  period  in 
which  Jesus  the  Messiah  shall  come  again  at  the  restoration  of  all  things. 
We  have  doubtless  a  distinct  reference  to  a  period  of  rest  and  gladness 
which  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  would  herald,  and  it  is  apparently 
identical  with  the  Messiah's  reign  of  a  thousand  years,  described  in 
Rev.  11 :  15,  when  'the  kingdom  of  the  world  is  become  the  kingdom  of 
our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ.'  Peter  connects  these  events  with  the  con- 
version of  the  .Jewish  people.  Although  the  Jewish  people  has  not  yet 
been  converted,  God  has  kept  it  a  distinct  and  sepai'ate  people. 
Is  it  not  surely  for  some  great  purpose,  still  hidden  in  perhaps  a  remote 
future,  that  it  is  kept  in  its  strange,  apparently  unnatual,  separ- 
ation ? 

Ver.  21.     *  Whom  the  heaven  must  receive.     The  idea  is  that 


36  ACTS  III.  [3 :  22,  23. 

receive  until  the  times  of  restoration   of  all  things, 
whereof  God  spake  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy  prophets 

22  which  have  been  since  the  world  began  *.  Moses  in- 
deed said,  A  prophet  shall  the  Lord  God  raise  up  unto 
you  from  among  your  brethren,  Uike  unto  me;  to  him 
shall  ye  hearken  in  all  things  whatsoever  he  shall  speak 

23  unto  you.  And  it  shall  be,  that  every  soul,  which  shall 
not  hearken  to  that  prophet,  shall  be  utterly  destroyed 

*For  "since  the  world  began"  read  "from  of  old." — Am.  Com. 
1  Or,  OS  he  raised  up  me. 

Christ  must  remain  in  heaven  until  the  restoration  of  all  things.  This 
was  to  correct  the  notion  that  he  was  to  be  bodily  present  throughout 
the  history  of  his  Church  on  earth,  as  the  Jews  had  expected. — Until 
the  times  of  restoration  of  all  things.  The  word  aTTomrnaTaocg 
(restoration)  occurs  here  only  in"  the  New  Testament,  but  the  verb  from 
which  it  is  derived  occurs  often.  'Elijah  indeed  cometh  and  restoreth 
all  things'  (Matt.  17:  11;  see  Acts  1:  6).  The  full  signification  is 
restoration  of  primeval  purity,  order,  happiness ;  setting  right  present 
disorder  and  confusion :  good  will  then  finally  triumph  over  evil,  truth 
over  falsehood.  The  'times  of  restoration"  signify  the  same  period  as 
the  'times  of  refreshing.'  Gloag  well  sums  up  Peter's  thoughts  here: 
'  Accordingly,  the  idea  of  the  Apostle  seems  to  be  that  so  long  as  the 
unbelief  of  Israel  continues,  Christ  will  remain  in  heaven,  but  that  their 
repentance  and  conversion  will  bring  about  the  'times  of  refreshing' 
and  "restoration  of  all  things,"  which  will  either  immediately  precede 
or  coincide  with  the  Second  Advent.' — Whereof  God  spake  by  the 
mouth  of  his  holy  prophets.  Such  a  period  of  holiness  and  hap- 
piness, is  the  theme  of  all  prophecy  in  every  age  in  the  Old  Testament. 
But  the  Jews  read  their  sacred  books  in  a  false  light,  and  passed  over  the 
plain  intimations  of  some  of  their  noblest  prophecies,  that  the  glory  they 
longed  after  and  the  triumph  of  the  Messiah  could  be  reached  only 
through  his  suffering  and  death. 

Ver.  22.  Moses  indeed  said.  (Detit.  18:  15,  18,  19).  This  and 
the  next  two  vei%es  give  illustrations  of  the  statement  that  'prophets 
from  of  old'  had  spoken  of  the  times  of  restoration. — A  prophet  shall 
the  Lord  God  raise  up  unto  you.  Will  cause  to  appear. — From 
among  your  brethren,  like  unto  me.  This  Messiah  was  to  be  a 
Jew,  and  like  unto  Moses.  These  words  could  only  apply  to  Jesus  of 
Nazareth.  Like  Moses  Jesus  was  a  Law-giver,  a  Mediator  between  God 
and  man,  and  the  Founder  of  a  new  dispensation  of  religion. 

Ver.  23.  Every  soul,  which  shall  not  hearken  to  that  pro- 
phet. Although  the  people  had  crucified  the  Lord  ignorantly,  still 
all  are  punished  who  through  hardness  of  heart,  refuse  to  listen  to  the 
voice  of  Jesus  the  Messiah.— Shall  be  utterly  destroyed.  The  words 
of  Dent.  18;  I'J:  'I  will  require  it  of  him,'  or  better  translated,  *I  will 


S:  24-2G.]  ACTS  III.  37 

24  from  among  the  people.  Yea,  and  all  the  prophets  from 
Samuel  and  them  that  followed  after,  as  many  as  have 

25  spoken,  they  also  told  of  these  days.  Ye  are  the  sons 
of  the  prophets,  and  of  the  covenant  which  God  ^  made 
with  your  fathers,  saying  unto  Abraham,  And  in  thy 

26  seed  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed.  Unto 
you  first  God,  having  raised  up  his  Seivant,  sent  him 
to  bless  you,  in  turning  away  every  one  of  you  from 
your  iniquities. 

1  Gr.  covenanted. 

exact  vengeance  from  him.'  Peter  substitutes  an  expression  which 
constantly  occurs  in  the  Pentateuch,  and  which  defines  the  nature  of 
the  divine  punishment  (Hackett).  This  punishment  is  exclusion  from 
the  kingdom  of  God,  from  life  in  its  highest  sense;  and  carries  with  it 
the  sentence  of  eternal  death. 

Ver.  24.  All  the  prophets  from  Samuel.  Samuel  is  mentioned 
as  the  founder  of  the  so-called  schools  of  the  prophets.  Peter  perhaps 
proved  by  express  quotations  from  the  prophets,  the  assertions  this 
verse  contains. — They  also  told  of  these  days.  This,  as  Alford 
and  others  maintain,  may  refer  to  the  present  time,  as  taking  in  the 
whole  of  the  period  known  as  'the  last  days;'  but  the  reference  more 
clearly  points  to  the  da?/s  immediately  in  the  speaker  s  mind,  the  Second 
Advent  and  the  times  of  restitution  of  all  things  (Meyer  and  De  Wette). 

Yer.  25.  Ye  are  the  sons  of  the  prophets,  and  of  the  cove- 
nant. 'Sons'  in  this  sense  was  a  common  expression  among  the 
Hebrews.  We  read  of  'the  sons  of  the  kingdom'  (Matt.  8:  12),  'sons 
of  this  world'  and  'sons  of  the  light'  (Luke  16:  8).  They  were  sons 
of  the  prophets,  for  the  promise  of  their  prophets  was  in  the  first  instance 
to  them  (chap.  2:  39).  They  were  sons  of  the  covenant  as  the  heirs  of 
Abraham,  to  whom  God  made  the  promise  that  'in  his  seed  (that  is,  in 
the  Messiah)  all  the  families  of  the  earth  should  be  blessed'  (Gen. 
22:  18). 

Ver.  26.  Unto  you  first  God,  etc.  Peter  here  clearly  recognizes 
definitely  that  upon  others  as  well  as  Israel,  the  glory  of  the  Lord  has 
risen  (Isa.  CO).  *It  is  the  same  thought  he  had  expressed  before  in  the 
words  '  afar  off'  (Acts  2 :  39).  He  did  not  fully  understand  the  conditions 
under  which  the  Gentiles  were  to  be  admitted  to  the  privileges  of  the 
covenant,  for  it  required  a  special  revelation  to  teach  him  that  the  dis- 
tinction between  Gentile  and  Jew  was  abolished  under  the  Gospel. 
These  words  are,  however,  comprehensive  and  in  the  spirit  of  Paul's 
(Acts  13 :  46 ;  Rom.  1 :  16). — Having  raised  up  his  Servant.  Not 
from  the  dead,  but  as  in  vtrse  22,  'having  caused  to  appear.' — In  turn- 
ing away  every  one  of  you  from  your  iniquities.  Some  com- 
mentators  (Calvin,  Alford,  Hackett,  etc.),  explain  these  words  as  indi- 


38  ACTS  IV.  [4:1. 

CHArTER  4:  1-4. 

Arrest  of  Peter  and  John. 

4:  1    And  as  they  spake  unto  the  people,  4he  priests  and 
the  captain  of  the  temple  and  the  Sadducees  came  upon 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  read  the  chief  priests. 

eating  that  in  which  the  blessing  consisted.  But  the  original  is  better 
rendered,  '  provided  that  each  one  turn  from  his  iniquities.'  The  mean- 
ing of  the  passage  then  would  be,  'Which  blessing  is  to  be  gained  by 
every  one  of  you  turning  from  your  iniquities'  (Beza,  Meyer,  De  Wette, 
etc.).  Thus  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  is  made  to  depend  on  the  individual 
life,  and  the  grand  truth  is  brought  out  that  the  promised  blessing  comes 
only  to  the  man  who,  receiving  Jesus,  lives  the  life  which  he  requires. 

♦Practical  Notes. — The  devout  believer  gives  all  the  glory  to  God.  The  crowd 
fastened  their  eyes  ou  Peter  and  John  as  though  they  had  been  the  authors  of  the 
miraculous  cure.  They  were,  however,  not  seeking  their  own  fame  or  profit  as  the 
sorcerer,  Simon,  the  Magician  of  Samaria  for  example  did  (Acts  8  :  19), but  directed  men's 
vision  away  from  themselves  to  God.  The  striking  contrasst  between  Christ  and  the 
Apostles  is  here  apparent.  Christ  had  a  power  of  working  miracles  inliereut  to  himself. 
The  Apostles  were  only  the  vehicles  through  which  God  worked. — The  invocation  of 
the  name  of  Christ  did  not  act  like  a  formula  of  incantation.  It  was  the  petition  of 
Apostolic  faith  that  brought  down  the  wonder-working  power  — The  sins  of  men  should 
not  deter  us  from  urging  them  to  turn  unto  God.  The  well-known  share  of  the  Jews 
in  the  crucifixion,  did  not  stop  Peter  from  offering  to  them  affectionately  the  pardon  of 
the  Gospel  and  calling  upon  them  importunately  to  accept  the  offer. — Conversion  is  a 
turning  away  from  iniquity  and  the  service  of  the  flesh  and  a  turning  unto  God. — Tho 
Old  Testament  predicted  the  future  and  taught  the  Jews  to  look  forward  with  longing 
and  hope  to  the  Messiah's  coming.  So  Christ  would  have  us  look  forward  in  hope  and 
expectancy  to  things  which  eye  now  sees  not,  and  ear  liears  not. — There  is  a  triple  resto- 
ration (ver.  21).  The  way  of  peace  and  reconciliation  was  restored  by  Christ's  work.  Each 
believer  when  he  is  converted  experiences  a  restoration  to  the  privileges  of  communion 
with  the  Father,  the  hopes  of  the  Gospel,  and  eternal  life.  And  the  full  restoration  of 
humanity  will  be  realized  in  the  future  in  the  times  of  refreshing,  when  Christ  cornea 
again  in  glory  and  with  the  angels. 

Arrest  of  Peter  and  John,  vers.  1-4. 

Ver.  1.  The  Priests.  The  particular  course  on  duty  at  the  Tem- 
ple during  that  week.  David's  original  division  of  the  priests  into 
twenty-four  orders  or  courses  (1  Chron.  24:  1-19),  each  of  wliich  had 
charge  of  the  Temple  services  for  a  week  at  a  time,  had  probably  been 
revived  after  the  captivity;  the  particular  duties  from  day  to  d.ay  Avere 
assigned  by  lot  (Luke  1 :  9). — Captain  of  the  temple.  Not  tho 
Roman  officer  in  command  at  the  tower  of  Antonia,  but  the  .Jewish  priest 
in  command  of  the  Levite  guard  of  the  Temple.  The  Romans  seldom 
appear  in  the  Acts  as  hostile  to  the  followers  of  Jesus. — The  Saddu- 


4:  2-4.]  ACTS  IV.  39 

2  them,  being  sore  troubled  because  they  taught  the  peo- 
ple, and  proclaimed  in  Jesus  the  resurrection  from  the 

3  dead.  And  they  laid  their  hands  on  them,  and  put 
them  in  ward  unto  the  morrow :  for  it  was  now  even- 

4  tide.  But  many  of  them  that  heard  the  word  believed ; 
and  the  number  of  the  men  came  to  be  about  five  thou- 
sand. 

coea.  This  is  the  first  mention  in  the  Acts  of  the  bitterest  enemies  of 
the  Church  of  the  first  days.  This  sect  rejected  all  that  mass  of  oral 
tradition  which  entered  so  larg;ely  into  the  teaching  of  the  Tharisees, 
but  accepted  the  written  word  (not  merely  the  books  of  Moses)  as  the 
rule  of  faith.  They  denied  a  future  life  and  the  existence  of  angels  and 
spirit  (Acts  23:  8).  Their  power  at  the  time  was  out  of  proportion  to 
their  real  numbers,  but  they  included  in  their  ranks  many  of  the  most 
influential  of  the  nation.  The  high  priest's  family  appears  to  have  con- 
sisted mainly  of  Sadducees  (Acts  5:  17).  During  his  earthly  nunistry, 
Jesus  came  into  collision  most  constantly  with  the  Pharisees  and  their 
formalism;  but  when  once  the  fact  of  the  resurrection  was  taught  by  his 
disciples,  and  believed  by  ever-increasing  thousands,  the  Sadducees, 
alarmed  at  the  ready  reception,  endeavored  with  all  their  power  to  stamp 
out  the  teaching  of  the  Apostles.  On  the  other  hand,  hints  seem  to  be 
given  us  (Acts  5:  34,  35;  15:  5),  that  the  Pharisees,  after  the  resurrec- 
tion, relaxed  their  hostility  partly  influenced  by  their  hostility  to  the 
Sadducee  party  (Acts  23:  7),  partly  persuaded  by  a  teaching  which  in 
many  points  agreed  with  their  own  doctrine. 

Ver.  2.  Being  sore  troubled  because  they  taught  the  peo- 
ple. The  anger  of  the  priests  and  captain  of  the  Temple,  whose  duly  it  wa3 
to  preserve  order  among  the  worshippers  in  the  great  sanctuary  of 
Israel,  was  easily  aroused  by  the  Sadducees  against  these  unauthorized 
teachers  who  were  making  such  a  rapid  progress  in  the  affections  of  the 
people  (ver.  4). — And  proclaimed  in  Jeaus  the  resurrection 
from  the  dead.  Here  we  have  the  real  ground  of  the  hostility  of  tlie 
Sadducees,  who  well  knew  that  if  this  single  instance  of  one  being 
raised  from  the  dead  were  substantiated,  their  creed  would  be  at  once 
discredited. 

Ver.  3.  *  Put  them  in -ward.  That  is,  in  prison.  The  word  means 
safe  keeping.  It  was  against  the  law  of  the  Jews  to  pronounce  a  judicial 
sentence  after  night-fall. — It  was  now  eventide.  When  Peter  and 
John  went  up  into  the  Temple  to  pray,  it  was  three  in  the  aflernoon. 
It  was  about  six  o'clock  when  they  were  arrested. 

Ver.  4.  Many  of  them  that  heard  the  word  believed.  In 
sharp  contrast  to  the  arrest  and  persecution  of  the  two  leaders  and  the 
hostility  of  the  rulers. — The  numberof  the  men  came  to  be  about 
five  thousand.  This,  no  doubt,  included  women.  Some  commenta- 
tors restrict  the  term  to  men;   Hackett,  however,  well  observes:  'An 


40  ACTS  IV.  [4;  5. 

Chapter  4:  5-12. 

Their  Arraignment  and  Defence. 

5      And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  morrow,  that  their  rulers 
and  elders  and  scribes  were  gathered  together  in  Jeru- 

emphasized  or  conscious  restriction  of  the  term  to  men  would  be  at 
variance  with  that  religious  equality  of  the  sexes  so  distinctly  affirmed 
in  the  New  Testament'  (Gal.  3:  28),  *The  meaning  is  not  that  five 
thousand  converts  were  made  on  that  day,  but  that  the  numbei's  rose 
until  the  Church  numbered  in  all  five  thousand.  Day  by  day  additions 
were  made  to  the  number  of  believers  (Acts  2:  47). 

*  Practical  Notes. — The  early  persecution  of  the  Church  was  inevitable,  but  it  served 
a  divine  purpose.  It  bound  the  first  Christians  closely  together  in  the  bonds  of  love, 
developed  their  piety  and  trust  in  God,  and  taught  them  to  place  little  value  upon 
honors  and  riches.  It  was  also  the  occasion  of  the  first  scattering  of  the  Apostles  from 
Jerusalem  to  sow  the  seed  of  the  Word. — It  is  no  new  thing  for  men  to  suffer  ill  for 
doing  well.  Opposition  is  no  sign  that  we  are  not  in  the  path  of  duty.  '  Blessed  are  ye, 
when  men  shall  persecute  you '  (Matt.  5 :  11). — The  disciples  could  not  expect  anything 
but  persecution.  The  servant  is  noj  above  his  Master.  Christ  liad  suffered  unto  death 
and  he  had  foretold  that  his  disciples  should  'have  tribulation  in  this  world'  (John  16: 
33). — The  real  caxise  of  the  Sadducees'  opposition  to  the  Aposiles,  was  the  doctrine  they 
preached  and  their  influence  with  the  multitude.  It  was  not  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of 
the  people,  for  evidently  one  of  them,  a  hopelessly  lame  man,  had  been  healed.  This 
beneficent  result  they  could  not  deny.  Ambition  and  pride  were  at  the  root  of  their  op- 
position.— Wickedness,  in  opposing  the  truth,  resorts  not  to  arguments  and  affectionate 
appeals,  but  to  threats  and  arbitrary  violence. — God's  servants  may  be  imprisoned,  but 
His  Word  faithfully  preached  accomplishes  its  purpose.  While  Peter  and  John  were 
being  placed  in  ward,  the  numbers  of  the  Christians  had  grown  to  five  thousand, 
and  there  was  much  rejoicing  that  night  in  many  hearts  over  a  new  found  hope. 

Their  Arraignment   and  Defence,  vers.  5-12. 

Ver.  5.  Their  rulers.  A  general  designation  of  the  Sanhedri.sts. 
The  Sanhedrin  consisted  of  three  orders : —^/rfers,  heads  of  families 
who  had  a  seat  in  the  great  council ;  Scribes,  the  recognized  teachers 
and  interpreters  of  the  divine  law  ;  and  the  High  Priest.  In  other  passa- 
ges this  third  order  is  termed  '  the  chief  priests.'  These  chief  priests 
included  the  reigning  high  priest,  with  others  of  his  house  who  had 
borne  the  title,  and  possibly  also  the  heads  of  the  twenty-four  courses 
of  priests.  The  Sanhedrin  seems  to  have  consisted  of  seventy-one  mem- 
bers. The  place  of  assembly  was  a  chamber  in  the  temple,  situated 
between  the  court  of  the  Israelites  and  the  court  of  the  priests,  and  was 
called  Gazith.  Some  forty  years  before  the  fall  of  the  city,  it  removed 
to  a  building  without  the  temple  precincts.  The  Sanhedrin  was  the 
supreme  court  in  the  .Jewish  nation.  Its  decrees  apparently  were 
respected  beyond  Palestine,  for  we  read  how  Saul  was  provided  with 


4:  6-9.]  ACTS   IV.  41 

6  sal  em ;  and  Annas  the  high  priest  was  there  ^  and  Caia- 
phas,  and  John,  and  Alexander,  and  as  many  as  were 

7  of  the  kindred  of  the  high  priest.     And  when  they  had 
set  them  in  the  midst,  they  inquired,  By  what  poY\'er, 

8  or  in  what  name,  have  ye  done  this  ?     Then  Peter,  filled 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  said  unto  them,  Ye  rulers  of  the 

9  people,  and  elders,  if  we  this  day  are  examined  con- 
credentials  from  the  Sanhedrin  to  the  Jewish  synagogues  of  Damascus, 
when  he  went  to  search  out  the  Syrian  followers  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 
Its  powers  embraced  all  matters,  civil  as  well  as  religious.  It  tried 
accused  persons,  and  its  decisions  admitted  of  no  appeal.  In  the  New 
Testament,  the  trials  before  the  Sanhedrin  of  Jesus,  Peter,  John,  Stephen, 
and  Paul  are  related. 

Ver.  6.  And  Annas  the  high  priest.  The  actual  high  priest 
was  Caiaphas  (John  11:  49);  but  Annas,  his  father-in-law,  had  once 
held  this  dignity  (7-15  a.  d.)  and  still  kept  the  title.  The  high  priest 
under  Jewish  law  held  his  office  for  life,  but  the  Herods  and  the  Eoman 
governors  frequently  deposed  the  high  priests  to  serve  political  purposes. 
At  his  trial  our  Lord  was  taken  before  Annas /rs<  (John  18:  13).  He 
was  perhaps  the  most  influential  person  among  the  Jews  at  this  time. 
Five  of  his  sons  were  advanced  to  this  high  office  during  his  lifetime. — 
Caiaphas.  He  married  the  daughter  of  Annas,  was  nominally  hisch 
priest  from  24  a.d.  to  36  a.d.,  and  was  deposed  at  the  beginning  of  the 
reign  of  Caligula  by  Vitellius,  then  governor  of  Syria. — John,  and 
Alexander.     Nothing  positively  certain  is  known  of  these  two, 

Ver.  7.  In  the  midst.  Tradition  relates  that  the  Sanhedrin  sat 
in  a  circle  or  semi-circle  (comp.  Luke  2:  46). — In  what  name.  The 
judges  well  knew  tho^name,  but  they  wanted  to  convict  Peter  and  John 
of  sorcery  or  enchantment,  by  having  worked  a  miracle  not  in  the  name 
of  God,  but  of  a  crucified  malefactor.  They  hoped  to  bring  the  Apostles 
under  the  death-sentence  pronounced  in  the  Law  (Deut.  13). — *Have 
ye  done  this  ?  The  miracle  upon  the  lame  man,  and  not  their 
preaching,  as  the  answer  of  Peter  shows.  At  a  later  period  the  seven 
sons  of  Sceva  and  other  exorcists  used  the  name  of  Jesus  as  a  sort  of 
enchantment,  but  in  their  case  it  was  powerless  to  work  miracles  (Acts 
19:  13). 

Ver.  8.  Then  Peter.  'Compare  Peter  a  few  days  since  in  the 
palace  of  the  high  priest,  thrice  denying  his  Master  from  fear  of  prison 
and  death,  and  now  brought  forth  from  prison,  and  confessing  Christ 
before  the  same  high  priest  and  Sanhedrin  which  had  delivered  Christ 
up  to  Pilate  for  crucifixion,  and  charging  them  with  his  murder' 
(Wordsworth),  What  had  brought  about  this  change?  He  had  seen 
the  risen  Lord. 

Ver.  9.  If  we  this  day  are  examined,  etc.  Ironical  surprise 
runs  through  Peter's  reply,  that  they  should  be  tried  for  doing  a.  good 


42  ACTS  IV.  [4:  10-12. 

cerning  a  good  deed  done  to  an  impotent  man,  ^  by  what 

10  means  this  man  is  ^made  whole ;  be  it  known  unto  you 
all,  and  to  all  the  people  of  Israel,  that  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  iS^azareth,  whom  ye  crucified,  whom 
God  raised  from  the  dead,  even  in  ^him  doth  this  man 

11  stand  here  before  you  whole.  He  is  the  stone  which 
was  set  at  nought  of  you  the  builders,  which  was  made 

12  the  head  of  the  corner.  And  in  none  other  is  there 
salvation :  for  neither  is  there  any  other  name  under 
heaven,  that  is  given  among  men,  wherein  we  must  be 
saved. 

1  Or,  in  whom.  2  Or,  saved.  3  Or,  this 


deed.  There  is  an  emphasis  on  these  words  in  contrast  to  the  this  of 
verse  7. — *Thi3  man.  The  restored  lame  man  was  evidently  with 
them  in  the  court  room  (ver.  14),  and  the  Sanhcdrin  could  no  more  deny 
the  cure  than  the  Pharisees  had  been  able  to  deny  the  cure  of  the  man 
born  blind  whom  Jesus  healed  (John  9:  24). 

Ver.  10.  *  Be  it  known.  A  solemn  introduction  to  the  statement 
which  follows. — *  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth,  "whom  ye  crucified. 
The  accused  at  the  bar  of  judgment  becomes  the  accuser  of  his  judges 
and  the  fearless  witness  for  the  power  of  Christ's  name  and  the  fact  of 
the  resurrection,  a  doctrine  which  the  Sadducees  scorned. 

Ver.  11.  Ha  is  the  stone,  etc.  The  accusation  of  dishonoring 
what  Goi  had  so  honored,  Peter  repeats  by  boldly  applying  to  them 
the  well-known  words  of  Ps.  118:  22.  The  rulers  of  the  Jews  as  the 
builders  to  whom  the  charge  of  the  house  of  God  was  given,  should  have 
been  the  first  to  acknowledge  the  long-looked-foi*  Messiah.  They  had 
rejected  him;  but  God,  by  raising  him  from  the  dead,  had  shown  that 
he  was  the  corner-stone  on  which  the  spiritual  temple  on  earth  must 
rest.  Christ  had  in  the  presence  of  his  disciples  used  these  words 
(Matt.  21 :  42). 

Ver.  12.  And  in  none  other  is  there  salvation.  The  Apostle 
has  ceased  altogether  referring  to  the  lame  man,  and  has  passed  over 
to  the  thought  that  the  salvation  of  the  soul  is  dependent  upon  Christ. 
Not  only  diseases  of  the  body  might  be  healed  in  his  name,  but  on  it 
men  might  rest  when  they  thought  of  eternity.  This  famous  passage 
occupies  a  prominent  position  in  the  Smalcald  Articles  drawn  up  by 
Luther  and  adopted  in  1537.  It  has  been  said,  with  some  truth,  that 
the  adoption  of  these  articles  completed  the  Reformation. 

*  Practical  Notfs. — God  trains  up  his  servants  gradually  for  his  work.  The  Apos- 
tles first  witnessed  the  power  of  the  Spirit  on  the  daj'  of  Pentecost,  saw  the  results  of 
the  first  preaching  in  the  conversion  of  throe  thousand,  and  were  empowered  to  work 
a  miracle.     Xot  till  then  did  th3  season  of  trial,  trial  of  their  faith,  begin.      God 


4:  13-15.]  ACTS  IV.  43 

Chapter  4:  13-22. 
The  Release  of  the  Aposfles. 

13  Now  when  they  beheld  the  boldness  of  Peter  and 
John,  and  had  perceived  that  they  were  unlearned  and 
ignorant  men,  they  marvelled ;  and  they  took  knowl- 

14  edge  of  them,  that  they  had  been  w^ith  Jesus.  And 
seeing  the  man  which  vras  healed  standing  with  them, 

15  they  could  say  nothing  against  it.  But  when  they  had 
commanded  them  to  go  aside  out  of  the  council,  they 

called  ufyon  them  to  resist  unto  I'onds  and  thus  prepared  them  to  resist  unto  blood.^ 
Teter  now  has  an  oppo  tunity  to  make  good  one  part  of  the  confident  assertion,  which 
he  once  denied,  '  liord,  witli  thee  I  am  ready  to  go  both  to  prison  and  to  death '  (Luke 
22 :  33). — The  accnsed  turn  the  accusers  and  put  their  judges  to  shame  by  their  boldness 
and  sincerity.  Their  example  before  those  who  h;id  done  them  injury  is  one  mon  are 
most  apt  to  forget  to  imitate.  They  spoke  the  whole  truth  about  Christ,  and  charged 
the  rulers  with  the  crime  of  his  crucifixion.  They  spoke  witliout  fear.  But  they  exhibi- 
ted no  revengeful  feeling,  neither  vilifying  their  accusers  nor  calling  down  vengeance 
upon  them. — The  hands  of  the  faithful  fuUower  of  Christ  may  be  bound,  but  his  heart 
and  faith  cannot  be  bound  — Christ's  name  is  the  only  one  in  which  we  can  be  saved. 
Descent  from  Abraham  and  the  possession  of  the  oracles  of  the  Old  Testament  could 
not  save  the  Jews.     Nor  will  any  merit  of  ours  save  us.     By  grace  we  are  saved. 

The  Release  of  the  Apostles,  vers.  13-22. 

Astonishment  of  the  Sanhedrists  at  the  ability  of  Peter's  reply.  They 
remember  the  two  Apostles  were  companions  of  Jesus,  and  then  consult 
privately  together.  They  see  that  any  puni.shment  they  might  inflict 
would  be  ill  received  by  the  people,  so  they  determine  to  dismiss  the 
accused,  threatening  them  if  they  continued  to  preach  the  name  of  the 
Crucified. 

Ver.  13.  Unlearned  and  ignorant.  Their  language  and  argu- 
ments proved  that  they  were  untaught  in  the  rabbinical  learning  of  the 
Jewish  schools.  They  were  the  fishermen  of  Galilee,  but  had  been 
instructed  by  Christ  and  emboldened  by  the  Spirit. — They  marvelled. 
The  rulers  were  astonished  that  one  so  unlearned  and  undistinguished 
should  address  them  in  such  powerful  language  and  dare  to  be  so  bold. 
— They  took  knowledge  of  them,  that  they  had  been  -with 
Jesus.  '  Their  wonder  sharpened  their  recollection'  (Meyer).  Jesus 
had  taught  publicly  on  many  occasions  in  Jerusalem  and  in  the  Temple 
courts,  and  we  know  some  at  least  of  tlie  rulers  at  different  times  had 
been  present.     They  remembered  the  faces  of  Peter  and  John. 

Ver.  14.  Standing -with  them.  No  longer  a/iimj  as  a  cripple  at 
the  beautiful  gate. 

Ver.  15.     They  conferred  among  themselves.    Luke  probably 


44  ACTS  IV.  [4:  16-19. 

16  conferred  among  themselves,  saying,  What  shall  we  do 
to  these  men?  for  that  indeed  a  notable  ^miracle  hath 
been  wrought  through  them,  is   manifest  to  all  that 

17  dwell  in  Jerusalem  ;  and  we  cannot  deny  it.  But  that 
it  spread  no  further  among  the  people,  let  us  threaten 
them,  that  they  speak  henceforth  to  no  man  in  this 

18  name.     And  they  called  them,  and  charged  them  not 

19  to  speak  at  all  nor  teach  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  But 
Peter  and  John  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Whether 
it  be  right  in  the  sight  of  God  to  hearken  unto  you 

1  Gr.  sign. 

heard  -^hat  these  private  deliberations  were,  from  some  of  the  priests 
who  afterwards  joined  the  church  (chap.  6:  7)  and  were  present. 

*  Ver.  16.  "We  cannot  deny  it.  This  leaves  upon  us  the  impres- 
sion that  they  would  have  denied  the  evidence,  if  it  had  been  possible. 
They  could  not  explain  away  this  miracle  as  they  had  done  the  fact  of 
the  open  sepulchre  on  the  day  of  the  resurrection  (Matt.  28  :  13). 

Ver.  17.  That  they  speak  henceforth  to  no  man  in  this 
name.  The  council  could  find  no  pretext  for  punishing  them.  The 
expectation  that  the  Apostles  would  have  been  convicted  under  the  stat- 
utes of  the  Law  (Deut.  13)  was  frustrated  by  the  strong  feeling  of  the 
people  in  their  favor  and  the  evident  beneficence  of  the  deed  (ver.  21). 
This  the  Sanhedrin  fairly  confessed  by  their  dread  lest  the  report  of 
the  miracle  should  spread  any  farther,  a  hope  which  Peter  expressed 
by  implication  in  ver.  10. 

*  Ver.  18.  Not  to  speak  at  all.  They  felt  that  if  they  could  stop 
the  mouths  of  the  Apostles,  the  growth  of  the  Church  would  be  checked. 
'  Belief  Cometh  of  hearing'  (Rom.  10:  17). 

Ver.  19.  Peter  and  John  answered.  Nothing  daunted,  they 
reply  to  the  rulers,  and  firmly  express  their  resolve  to  disobey  the 
command. — In  tbe  sight  of  Qod.  An  appeal  to  God  as  the  Judge, — 
as  sitting  invisible  in  that  council  before  which  they  were  then  plead- 
ing.— Whether  it  be  right  in  tho  sight  of  God  to  heaiken 
unto  you,  etc.  The  point  of  the  Apostle's  reply  was,  that  they  were 
not  teaching  the  people  as  self-appointed  rabbis,  but  were  only  acting 
as  witnesses  of  Jesus  and  in  obedience  to  God.  The  words  of  Socrates, 
perhaps  the  greatest  of  the  Greek  philosophers,  when  he  was  pleading 
before  his  judges,  who  condemned  him  to  death,  bear  a  striking  resem- 
blance to  this  bold  utterance:  'Athenians,  I  will  obey  God  rather  than 
you ;  and  if  you  would  let  me  go,  and  give  me  my  life  on  condition  that 
I  should  no  more  teach  my  fellow-citizens,  sooner  than  agree  to  your  pro- 
posal I  would  prefer  to  die  a  thousand  times.'  *Their  words  arc  a  strong 
plea  for  the  rights  of  conscience  and  the  superior  authority  of  the  divine 
law  to  human  injunctions.     V»'^cll  might  Luther  appeal  to  the  example 


4:  20-23.]  ACTS  IV.  45 

20  rather  than  uuto  God,  judge  ye :   for  we  cannot  but 

21  s])eak  the  things  which  we  saw  and  heard.  And  they, 
when  they  had  further  threatened  them,  let  them  go, 
finding  nothing  how  they  might  punish  them,  because 
of  the  people  ;  for  all  men  glorified  God  for  that  which 

22  was  done.  For  the  man  was  more  than  forty  years 
old,  on  whom  this  ^miracle  of  healing  was  wrought. 

Chapter  4:  23-31. 
The  Apostles  with  their  own  People. 

23  And  being  let  go,  they  came  to  their  own  company, 

1  Gr.  sign. 

of  these  Apostles  and  use  their  words,  when  he  broke  with  the  author- 
ities and  renounced  the  eiTors  of  the  Papal  Church. 

Ver.  21.  =^ Finding  nothing  how  they  might  punish  them, 
because  of  the  people.  A  striking  evidence  of  the  impression  the 
Apostles  had  made  upon  the  people,  as  well  as  that  policy,  and  not  so 
much  a  sense  of  justice,  deterred  the  rulers  from  passing  a  harsher  sen- 
tence. They  feared  men  more  than  God  (comp.  John  12:  43). — All 
men  glorified  God  for  that  \vhich  was  done.  No  penalty,  such 
as  scourging  or  imprisonment,  would  then  have  been  tolerated  by 
popular  sentiment.  But,  besides  this  public  feeling  working  in  favor 
of  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  it  is  more  than  probable  that  in  the  Sanhedrin 
itself  several  members  secretly  favored  the  new  sect.  Some  have  sup- 
posed that  Nicodemus  and  Joseph  of  Arimathea  were  members  of  this 
council.  That  Gamaliel,  one  of  the  most  influential  of  the  Sanhedrin 
leaders,  was  disposed  to  favor  them,  seems  possible  from  Acts  5:  34. 

*  Practical  Notes.— The  council  could  not  deny  the  beneficence  and  reality  of  the 
miracle,  for  the  proof  of  it  was  before  them  in  the  lame  man,  who  was  now  standing 
on  his  feet.  They  would  have  punished  the  Apostles,  however,  notwithstanding  this, 
had  it  been  safe  and  prudent  So  God  sometimes  raises  up  helpers  in  unexpected  quar- 
ters, for  these  very  same  people  had  only  a  few  months  before  joined  in  the  cry  for  the 
crucifixion — God's  commandments  must  take  precedence  of  all  human  laws.  Peter 
and  John  appeal  to  conscience  and  God's  Woi  d.  The  principle  is  a  valid  one,  although 
men  have  sometimes  mistaken  for  conscience  and  God's  Word  what  was  neither. 
Wiclif  appealed  to  them  from  the  human  authority  of  the  pope  which  was  plainly  at 
variance  with  God's  Word.  And  so  likewise  did  Luther,  who  at  the  Diet  of  "Worms 
(1521),  used  these  words:  'Unless  my  conscience  is  convinced  by  argumenrs  from  the 
Scriptures,  I  neither  can  nor  will  retract  anything,  well  knowing  that  it  is  neither  safe 
nor  expedient  to  do  anything  against  one's  conscience.  Here  I  stand,  God  help  me  I 
I  cannot  do  otherwise.' 

The  Apostles  with  their  oum  People,  vers.  23-31. 
The  prayer  of  the  Church  of  Jerusalem  to  God  to  support  and  defend 


46  ACTS  IV.  [4 :  24,  25. 

and  reported  all  that  the  chief  priests  and  the  elders  had 

24  said  unto  them.  And  they,  when  they  heard  it,  lifted  up 
their  voice  to  God  with  one  accord,  and  said,  O  ^  Lord, 
^thou  that  didst  make  the  heaven  and  the  earth  and  the 

25  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is :  ^wlio  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  by 
the  mouth  of  our  father  David  thy  servant  didst  say, 

1  Or,  Master.  8  Or,  Ihon  art  he  that  did  make. 

3  The  Greek  text  in  this  clause  is  somewhat  uncertain. 

the  threatened  and  persecuted  followers  of  His  Son,  and  the  answer 
from  heaven. 

Ver.  23.  They  came  to  their  own  company.  This  has  been 
understood  by  some  to  signify  their  brother  Apostles,  but  the  term 
comprehends  a  large  number  of  the  believers  then  in  the  city.  These 
no  doubt  had  come  together  on  the  threatening  aspect  of  the  affairs  of 
the  little  community,  as  the  arrest  of  the  two  leaders  by  the  orders  of 
the  Sanhedrin  was  of  course  known  throughout  Jerusalem. — Reported 
all  that  the  chief  priests  and  the  elders  had  said  unto  them. 
Chrysostom  remarks  here  '  that  they  told  their  tale  not  for  their  own 
glory.  .  .  ,  All  that  their  adversaries  had  said,  this  they  told ;  their 
own  part  it  is  likely  they  omitted.'  Nor  did  their  story  on  the  whole 
give  fair  promise  for  the  future.  Dark  and  stormy  days  evidently  lay 
before  the  little  community.  The  highest  authority  in  the  nation  had 
condemned  them  ;  and  though  the  Sanhedrin  had  been  for  the  moment 
restrained  from  severe  measures,  it  was  clear  that  when  the  temporary 
pressure  of  public  opinion  was  removed,  the  majority  of  the  council 
would  proceed  to  harsher  measures.  So  they  now  prayed  very  earn- 
estly for  help  and  succour. 

Ver.  24.  They  lifted  np  their  voice  to  God  with  one  ac- 
cord. Some  tliink  this  prayer  was  an  utterance  of  one  of  the  Apostles, 
the  rest  following,  some  with  their  voice,  others  only  with  the  heart. 
Others  suggest  that  the  whole  assembly  sung  together  the  2d  Psalm,  but 
that  Peter  offered  the  prayer.  Another  and,  as  it  seems,  a  more 
thoughtful  suggestion,  regards  vers.  24-30  as  part  of  a  solemn  form  of 
prayer  use<l  by  the  Apostolic  Church  of  .Jerusalem — a  formula  of  prayer 
composed  while  the  impression  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ  was  still  fresh. 
An  objection  to  this  view  is  that  the  state  of  things  pictured  in  vers. 
29.  30,  limits  the  prayer  to  the  present  emergency ;  but  the  storm  of 
persecution  which  then  was  threatening  to  break  over  the  church,  must 
have  seemed  ever  imminent  to  men  whose  life-work  it  was  to  preach 
the  religion  of  a  crucified  Redeemer.  This  formula  of  prayer  was,  as 
some  have  termed  it,  a  flower  which  grew  up  in  its  beauty  under  the 
cross,  and  shows  us  how  perfect  was  the  confidence  of  the  early  Chris- 
tians in  the  divine  care  and  protection. 

Ver.  25.  By  the  mouth  of  our  father  David.  The  quotation 
is  from  the  Greek  translation  of  Ps.  2:  1,  2. 


4:  26-28.]  ACTS  IV.  47 

Why  did  the  Gentiles  rage, 
And  the  peoples  4magiue  vain  things? 
26  The  kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves  in  array, 

And  the  rulers  were  gathered  together, 
Against  the  Lord,  and  against  his  ^Anointed : 
Ti  for  of  a  truth  in  this  city  against  thy  holy  Servant 
Jesus,  whom  thou  didst  anoint,  both  Herod  and  Pon- 
tius Pilate,  with  the  Gentiles  and  the  peoples  of  Israel, 
28  were  gathered  together,  to  do  whatsoever  thy  hand  and 

1  Or,   meditate.  ^Qt.  Christ. 

Yer.  26.  The  kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves  in  array, 
etc.  The  2d  Psalm  was  interprete<l  originally  by  the  Jews  as  referring 
to  the  royal  Messiah.  Rabbi  D.  Kimchi,  says:  'According  to  the 
interpretation  of  some,  "the  Anointed"  is  King  jMessiah,  and  so  our 
blessed  Rabbis  have  expounded  it.'  Rasc'ii,  however,  after  making 
the  same  statement  adds,  how  in  his  opinion  it  is  better  to  explain  the 
Psalm  of  David  himself,  (hat  we  viay  be  able  to  an^rer  the  heretics,  i.e. 
Christians.  And  so  in  later  times  the  Jews  generally  deny  the  Messianio 
reference.  In  the  mind  of  the  writer  at  first  an  earthly  king  is  present, 
and  the  circumstances  of  his  own  (David's)  chequered  career  supply 
the  imagery  ;  '  but  his  words  are  too  great  to  have  all  their  meaning 
exhausted  in  David  or  any  Jewish  monarch.  Or  ever  he  is  aware,  the 
local  and  the  temporal  are  swallowed  up  in  the  universal  and  eternal. 
The  king  who  sits  on  David's  throne  has  become  glorified  and  trans- 
figured in  the  light  of  the  promise.  The  true  king,  who  to  the  prophet's 
mind  is  to  fulfil  all  his  largest  hopes,  has  taken  the  place  of  the  visible 
and  earthly  king'  (Dean  Perowne,  Introd.  to  Ps.  2).  There  is  an  ex- 
act correspondence  between  the  leading  enemies  mentioned  in  the  Psalm, 
and  those  who  were  present  at  the  condemnation  and  death  of  Jesus. 
The  Gentiles  were  represented  by  the  Roman  soldiery  and  oflBcials;  the 
kings  of  the  earth,  by  king  Herod ;  the  rulers,  by  Pontius  Pilate  the 
governor.  The  Lord  in  the  Psalm  corresponds  to  the  Maker  of  heaven 
and  earth,  and  the  Lord's  Anointed,  to  'Thy  holy  child  Jesus.' 

Ver.  27.  In  this  city.  These  words  answer  to  the  statement  of 
Ps.  2 :  6 :  '  Upon  my  holy  hill  of  Zion.' — *  Whom  thou  didst  anoint. 
Both  the  high  priests  (Ex.  30:  oO)  and  the  kings  of  Israel  (1  Sam.  15: 
1 ;  16 :  13 ;  1  Kings  1 :  34)  were  set  apart  to  their  office  by  being  anointed 
with  oil.  Jesus  was  anointed  to  his  office  with  power  and  the  special 
descent  of  the  Spirit  (Acts  10:  38;  comp.  Matt.  3:  16;  Luke  4:  18). 

Ver.  28.  To  do  whatsoever  thy  hand  and  thy  counsel  fore- 
ordained to  come  to  pass.  Meyer  well  observes  here :  •  The  Lord's 
death  was  not  the  chance  work  of  arbitrary  hate,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
the  necessary  result  of  the  divine  purpose,  which  uses  man's  free  acts 
as  its  instrument.'     The  words  of  CEcumenius  are  to  the  same  purpose : 


48  ACTS  IV.  [4:  29-31. 

29  thy  counsel  foreordained  to  come  to  pass.  And  now, 
Lord,  look  upon  their  threatenings :  and  grant  unto 
thy  ^servants  to  speak  thy  word  with  all  boldness, 

30  w^hile  thou  stretchest  forth  thy  hand  to  heal ;  and  that 
signs  and  wonders  may  be  done  through  the  name  of 

31  thy  holy  Servant  Jesus.  And  when  they  had  prayed, 
the  place  was  shaken  wherein  they  were  gathered  to- 
gether ;  and  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  they  spake  the  word  of  God  with  boldness. 

1  Gr.  bo7i(lservants. 
•They  came  together  as  enemies;  but  they  -were  doing  what  Thou  didst 
plan.'  ■^It  is  impossible  for  us  with  our  imperfect  knowledge  to  solve 
the  relation  of  God's  sovereign  will  and  foreordination  and  man's  free 
agency.  The  Bible  knows  no  discord  and  asserts  both  principles  as  in 
Phil.  2:  12,  where  we  are  urged  to  'Work  out  our  own  salvation,'  and 
it  is  immediately  afterwards  stated,  that  it  is  *God  which  worketh  in 
us,'  etc.  The  great  thought  of  the  verse,  is  however,  that  the  life  and 
death  of  Christ  were  a  part  of  a  comprehensive  divine  plan  for  the  wel- 
fare of  man. 

Ver.  29.  Grant  unto  thy  servants  to  speak  thy  "w^ord  with 
all  boldness.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  how  the  spirit  of  the  Master  had 
sunk  into  the  disciples'  hearts.  No  fire  from  heaven  is  called  down  on 
the  heads  of  the  enemies  of  Christ  and  the  Church ;  only  for  themselves 
they  pray  for  bravery  and  constancy  in  view  of  the  hostile  and  threat- 
ening attitude  of  the  rulers. 

Ver.  31.  The  place  was  shaken  wherein  they  were  gath- 
ered together,  as  though  the  wings  of  the  descending  Spirit  had 
touched  the  walls  and  caused  the  house  of  prayer  to  rock. — They 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  As  on  the  first  Pentecost 
morning,  the  inward  sign  was  likewise  given. — And  they  spake  the 
word  of  God  with  boldness.  No  more  in  tones  of  anxious  plead- 
ing, did  the  voices  of  Apostles  and  believers  rise,  but  exultant  and  joy- 
ous and  with  renewed  confidence,  for  the  first  recorded  prayer  of  the 
Church  was  answered. 

*  Practical  Notes. — Prayer  has  its  miracles,  which  human  agency  cannot  obstruct. 
— ^The  communion  of  early  Christians  and  their  prayer  to  God  in  the  r.amo  of  Christ 
and  song,  are  strong  evidences  for  the  Eesurrection.  In  the  face  of  persecution  the 
Apostles  would  not  have  risked  their  lives  for  Christ,  unless  thej'  had  believed  him  to 
be  risen  and  had  seen  him  after  the  Kesurrection.  Nor  would  they  have  gone  through 
the  vain  formula  of  prayer  in  his  name  and  asked  for  boldness  to  preach  Christ,  unless 
they  had  firmly  believed  that  he  was  ascended  on  high  as  the  '  Prince  of  life.'  They 
praj'ed  not  for  judgment  upon  those  who  had  threatened  them,  but  for  grace  to  bear 
up  under  the  threatenings  and  to  preach  with  boldness  the  Resurrection. — The  perse- 
cution of  the  Church,  as  well  as  its  extension  and  glory,  is  prophesied  in  the  Old 
Testament  (ver.  20). 


4.  32,  33.J  ACTS  IV.  49 

Chapter  4:  32-37. 
The  Spirit  of  Unity  in  the  Church. 

32  And  the  multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one 
heart  and  soul :  and  not  one  of  them  said  that  aught  of 
the  things  which  he  possessed  was  his  own ;  but  they 

33  had  all  things  common.  And  with  great  power  gave 
the  apostles  their  witness  of  the  resurrection  of  the 

The  Spirit  of  Unity  in  the  Church,  vers.  32-37. 

Ver.  32.  And  the  multitude  of  them  that  believed.  From 
the  personal  details  connected  with  the  leading  followers  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  related  in  chapters  3  and  4,  their  words,  their  great  miracle 
and  the  persecution  which  followed, — the  historian  here  passes  to  the 
inner  life  of  the  new  society,  and  shows  how  the  same  quiet  peace,  the 
same  spirit  of  self-sacriSce  which  at  first  (see  chap.  2 :  44-47)  prevailed, 
Btill  reigned  in  the  now  greatly  enlarged  community,  numbering  five 
thousand  men;  and  of  the  inner  life  of  the  Church  in  those  early  days, 
the  writer  of  the  history  dwells  on  two  particulars — (1)  the  relations 
of  believers  one  with  another;  (2)  the  conduct  of  believers  towards 
the  unconverted. — Of  one  heart  and  soul.  A  close  and  intimate 
friendship  reigned  £t  first  in  the  Church;  greed,  jealousy  and  selfish 
ambition  were  unknown  as  yet.  This  enthusiasm  of  love  found  its  first 
expression  in  a  voluntary  cession  of  all  possessions  in  favor  of  the  com- 
mon funds  of  the  society. — And  not  one  of  them  said  that  aught 
of  the  things  -which  he  possessed  was  his  o-wn,  etc  This 
voluntary  poverty  was  no  doubt  an  attempt  to  imitate  as  closely  as  pos- 
sible the  life  the  followers  of  .Jesus  had  led  while  he  was  yet  with  them, 
■when  they  hjid  one  purse.  But  this  practice  was  soon  proved  to  be 
irapracticablo  and  was  given  up  altogether  after  a  very  short  experience. 
This  is  indisputable,  for  all  the  epistles  are  written  upon  the  supposi- 
tion that  the  various  orders  of  master  and  slave,  of  rich  and  poor,  con- 
tinued to  exist  side  by  sido  in  the  Christian  community.  •  The  rigid  and 
unswerving  truthfulness  of  Luke  in  dwelling  upon  this  grave  mistake 
of  the  first  years,  ought  not  to  be  overlooked.  Long  before  the  Acts 
were  edited,  the  error  was  acknowledged  and  corrected;  yet  Luke 
makes  no  attempt  to  conceal  or  even  to  gloss  over  the  mistaken  zeal  of 
early  Christians  (see  Acts  2:  45). 

Yer.  33.  With  great  power  gave  the  apostles  their  wit- 
ness of  the  resurrection.  These  words  speak  of  the  relations  of 
the  Church  with  the  outer  world;  and  not  merely  of  the  preaching 
within  the  Church  upon  which  the  writer  would  hardly  dwell.  The 
resurrection  was  their  grand  and  principal  theme.  It  'is  again  and 
again  mentioned  as  the  ground-work  of  the  apostolic  teaching;  it  was 
the  column  upon  which  their  strong  faith  rested  ;  and  they  told  it  out 
to  others  that  men  might  grasp  the  mighty  issues  which  this  victory  of 


50  ACTS  IV.  [4:  34-87. 

34  Lord  Jesus  ^:  and  great  grace  was  upon  them  all.  For 
neither  was  there  among  them  any  that  lacked :  for  as 
many  as  were  possessors  of  lands  or  houses  sold  them, 

35  and  brought  the  prices  of  the  things  that  were  sold, 
and  laid  them  at  the  apostles'  feet :  and  distribution 
was  made  unto  each,  according  as  any  one  had  need. 

36  And  Joseph,  who  by  the  apostles  was  surnamed 
Barnabas  (which  is,  being  interpreted.  Son  of  ^exhor- 

37  tation),  a  Levite,  a  man  of  Cyprus  by  race,  having  a 
field,  sold  it,  and  brought  the  money,  and  laid  it  at  the 
apostles'  feet. 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  add  Christ.  2  Or,  consolation. 

Jesus  over  death  involved  for  every  man.' — Great  grace  ^A7•as  upon 
them  all.  Some  suppose  that  the  divine  favor  is  referred  to.  But  it 
is  decidedly  better  to  think  of  the  favor  with  which  the  Apostles  were 
received  by  the  people;  for,  it  is  obvious  that  the  'grace  of  God'  was 
upon  the  Apostles  and  brethren  as  they  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
(ver.  31 ).  Verse  33  speaks  of  the  great  power  of  the  Apostolic  preach- 
ing. There  was  scarcely  any  need  for  the  writer  specially  to  mention, 
further,  how  God's  favor  was  resting  upon  them;  but  the  fact  of  their 
standing  high  in  popular  estimation  was  an  important  one  (see  5 :  12-14). 

■5<^Ver.  34.  As  many  ao  were  possessors,  etc.  It  is  evident 
from  this  that  the  early  Christians  were  not  all  poor  men.  There  was 
probably  more  than  one  Joseph  of  Arimathea  amongst  them, 

Ver.  35.  And  laid  them  at  the  apostles'  feet.  We  have  here 
one  of  the  few  expressions  in  the  New  Testament  where  the  personal 
dignity  and  rank  which  the  Apostles  held  in  the  community  of  the 
believers  is  directly  mentioned.  This  seems  to  have  been  the  customary 
•way  of  dedicating  property  to  the  use  of  the  Church,  as  it  is  mentioned 
again  in  the  case  of  Barnabas  (ver.  37).  The  expression  signified  that 
it  was  given  up  entirely  to  the  control  of  the  Apostles. 

Ver.  36.  Joseph,  who  by  the  apostles  was  surnamed  Bar- 
nabas. This  is  given  as  one  of  the  more  f;xmous  instances  of  this 
giving  up  houses  and  lands  for  the  Lord's  sake.  This  Barnabas  sub- 
sequently became  one  of  the  foremost  missionaries  and  accompanied 
Paul  on  his  second  missionary  tour  (Acts  13:  2).  He  is  said  to  have 
suifered  martyrdom,  which  took  place  not  later  than  57  a.d. — Which 
is,  being  interpreted,  Son  of  exhortation.  The  name  Barnabas 
is  Hebrew,  and  was  no  doubt  given  to  him  by  the  Apostles,  on  account 
of  his  rare  gifts  of  speech  and  powers  of  exhortation  (Acts  11:  23). 

Ver.  37.  *  A  man  of  Cyprus.  An  island  in  the  Eastern  part  of  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  and  known  in  the  Old  Testament  as  Chittim  (Numb. 
24:  24).  Salamis  and  Paphos  were  the  two  principal  cities.  Paul 
riaited  it  accompanied  by  Barnabas  (Acts  13:  4). 


5:  1,2.]  ACTS  V.  51 

Chapter  5 :  1-11. 

Ananias  and  Saj)pliira. 

5  :  1     But  a  certain  man  named  Ananias,  with  Sapphira 

2  his  wife,  sold  a  possession,  and  kept  back  j)^t^t  of  the 

price,  his  wife  also  being  privy  to  it,  and  brought  a 

•Practical  Notes — With  the  persecution  and  danger,  supernatural  help  and  Chris- 
tian love  increased  within  the  Church.  Not  only  were  the  numbers  of  the  Church  in- 
creased to  five  thousand,  but  sensible  evidence  of  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  waa 
given  in  answer  to  prayer.  God  did  not  check  the  persecution,  but  He  gave  increased 
confidence,  power  and  grace  to  the  Christians  to  bear  it. — The  example  of  the  early 
Church  was  an  illustration  of  obedience  to  that  new  commandment  of  Christ  to  his  dis- 
ciples, that '  they  should  love  one  another'  (John  13  :  34). — Charity,  or  the  sharing  of  our 
goods  with  the  needy,  is  a  Christian  grace,  but  care  should  be  taken  in  the  exercise  of 
benevolence.  It  requires  Apostolic  wisdom  to  dispense,  as  well  as  Apostolic  grace  to 
give  charity. — The  community  of  goods  in  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  was  a  very  differ- 
ent thing  from  modern  communism.  There  the  sale  and  distribution  of  pro]ierty  was 
a  voluntary  act.  Communism  lays  claim  to  what  is  not  its  own,  and  would  force  tho 
rich  to  give  up  their  property. 

Ananias  and  Sapphira,  vers.  1-11. 

Vers.  1,  2.  But  a  certain  man  named  Ananias,  with  Sap- 
phira his  wife,  sold  a  possession,  etc.  In  striking  contrast  to 
the  entire  self-abnegation  of  Barnabas,  appears  the  conduct  of  another 
of  the  converts,  Ananias.  '  Now  for  the  first  time,'  as  Olshausen  says,  *  a 
shadow  falls  upon  the  history  of  the  Church.'  We  can  imagine  that 
among  the  first  Christians  a  kind  of  holy  emulation  had  sprung  up :  all 
were  eager  to  make  over  their  wealth  to  the  Church.  This  zeal  seems 
to  have  carried  away  some,  in  whose  hearts  a  love  for  earthly  things  still 
lingered.  Such  an  one  was  Ananias,  who  secretly  kept  back  part  of  the 
price  he  had  received  for  property  which  he  professed  to  have  devoted 
to  God.  Vanity  was  the  motive  for  the  sale,  hypocrisy  the  motive  of  the 
concealment.  Ananias,  who  perhaps  had  entered  the  Church  from  mixed 
motives,  sought  at  once  to  give  the  appearance  of  having  done  a  noble 
act  of  self-denial  and  to  secure  the  position  which  was  ever  accorded  to 
those  who  gave  up  lands  for  Christ's  sake,  and  at  the  same  time  to  re- 
tain sufficient  means  for  his  own  comfortable  support.  A  lingering 
doubt  remained  in  his  mind  whether  perhaps,  after  all,  the  whole  story 
might  not  be  a  delusion  ;  so,  while  professedly  stripping  himself  of  his 
possessions,  he  kept  back  enough  to  secure  himself  in  the  event  of  the 
dispersion  of  the  Xazarenes.  He  knew  he  could  deceive  men ;  perhaps 
he  dreamed  he  could  deceive  the  Holy  Ghost  too. 

*Ver.  2.  And  kept  back  part.  This  is  a  strong  word  and  con- 
tains the  idea  of  dishonesty  and  robbery.  It  is  translated  yj'/r^o?/?/;?^  in 
Tit.  2:  10,  and  is  the  word  used  for  Achan's  sin  in  the  Greek  transla- 


52  ACTS  V.  [5:  3-5. 

3  certain  part,  and  laid  it  at  the  apostles'  feet.  But  Peter 
said,  Ananias,  why  hath  Satan  filled  thy  heart  to  ^lie 
to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  keep  back  part  of  the  price 

4  of  the  land  ?  Whiles  it  remained,  did  it  not  remain 
thine  own  ?  and  after  it  was  sold,  was  it  not  in  thy 
power?  How  is  it  that  thou  hast  conceived  this  thing 
in  thy  heart  ?    thou  hast  not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto 

5  God.  And  Ananias  hearing  these  words  fell  down  and 
gave  up  the  ghost :  and  great  fear  came  upon  all  that 

1  Or,  deceive. 

ticm  of  Josli.  7:1.  The  sin  of  Ananias  did  not  consist  in  his  retaining 
a  portion  of  his  goods  as  is  plainly  indicated  in  ver.  4,  but  in  desiring 
to  give' the  false  impression  that  he  had  given  up  all.  He  was  guilty  of 
perjury,  though  he  perhaps  had  uttered  no  words. 

Ver.  3.  Peter  said,  Ananias,  why  hath  Satan  filled  thy 
heart.  It  was  in  the  assembly  of  the  believers  that  Ananias  presented 
his  olfering.  We  are  not  told  how  Peter  obtained  his  information  re- 
specting the  fraud  ;  still,  we  can  have  no  doubt  that  it  was  no  earthly 
presence  which  guided  and  executed  the  judgment  of  that  court.  In 
Peter's  question,  two  points  stand  out  prominently:  (1)  There  is  a 
distinct  acknowledgment  of  the  personality  and  agency  of  the  spirit  of 
evil,  Satan;  (2)  and  Peter  evidently  recognizes  man's  free  will,  his 
power  to  resist  if  he  choose,  the  promptings  of  the  Evil  one  (Jam.  4:7). 

Ver.  4.  "Whiles  it  remained,  did  it  not  remain  thine  ow^n? 
etc.  All  this  shows  that  the  community  of  goods  was  purely  voluntary. 
There  was  no  law  compelling  members  to  sell  their  goods  and  give  them 
to  the  Church.  '  If  you  were  unwilling  to  sell  your  possession,  who 
compelled  you  ?  if  you  wished  to  offer  but  the  half,  who  required  the 
whole  ?'  (Augustine,  Sermon  148) . — Thou  hast  not  lied  unto  men, 
but  unto  God.  Not  only  is  the  personality  of^the  Spirit  assumed  in 
ver.  3,  but  here  he  is  spoken  of  as  God,  for  the  reference  is  manifestly 
to  the  Spirit.  To  lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost  is  to  lie  unto  God,  because  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  God. 

Ver.  5.  Ananias  hearing  these  words  fell  down  and  gave 
up  the  ghost.  This  terrible  death  was  not  due  to  natural  causes,  as 
a  stroke  of  apoplexy,  resulting  from  sudden  terror  or  a  shock  to  the 
nervous  system.  It  was  a  direct  divine  interposition,  by  which  a  speedy 
and  terrible  punishment  was  inflicted.  From  the  da^-^s  of  Porphyry, 
sixteen  centuries  ago,  to  our  time  some  have  been  found  to  condemn  the 
judgment  upon  the  unhappy  pair,  now  as  a  needless  cruelty  on  the  part 
of  Peter,  now  as  an  act  of  divine  revenge.  But  there  were  good  reasons 
for  such  a  signal  display  of  God's  indignation.  Had  Ananias  and  Sap- 
phira  been  left  unpunished,  and  been  admitted  as  saints  with  respect 
into  the  congregation,  the  result  might  have  been  very  bad.     As  the 


5:0,7.]  ACTS  V.  53 

6  heard  it.     And  the  ^ young  men  arose  and  wrapped  him 
round,  and  they  carried  him  out  and  buried  him. 

7  And  it  was  about  the  space  of  three  hours  after, 
when  his  wife,  not  knowing  what  was  done,  came  in. 

1  Gr.  younger, 

real  history  of  the  transaction  began  to  be  whispered  abroad,  a  distrust 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  had  allowed  the  Apostles  to  be  so  deceived, 
would  have  sprung  up.  The  advantage  of  serving  two  masters — the 
world  and  Christ — would  have  dawned  on  the  mind  of  many  a  believer 
as  a  possibility.  The  first  fervor  of  the  new-born  faith  would  have  be- 
come dulled,  and  that  mighty  strength  in  weakness  of  the  Church  of  the 
first  days  would  rapidly  have  become  enervated.  On  the  other  hand 
their  terrible  punishment  would  forever  remain  a  warning  against  false 
pretences  in  religion,  an  argument  for  purity  and  sincerity  in  the 
Church  and  a  witness  to  the  revelation  of  the  divine  wrath  against  the 
ungodly. — Great  fear  came  upon  all  that  heard  it.  This  does 
not  relate,  as  De  Wette  and  Alford  urge,  to  the  general  feeling  of  awe 
which  came  not  only  over  the  Church,  but  affected  also  many  who  were 
outside  its  pale.  This  statement  simply  speaks  of  the  solemn  feeling 
excited  in  the  assembly  of  the  Christians,  where  the  judgment  of  God  fell 
upon  Ananias. 

Ver.  6.  And  the  young  men  arose.  They  probably  occupied 
in  the  Church  some  authorized  official  position.  It  is  in  the  highest 
degree  probable  that  the  earliest  Christian  worship  was  modelled  upon 
the  synagogue,  but  it  would  be  premature  as  yet  to  look  for  a  definite 
organization  in  the  little  community.  The  place  of  authority  the  Apos- 
tles evidently  occupied  among  the  brethren,  the  strong  probability  that 
definite  forms  of  prayer  already  formed  a  part  of  their  worship,  the 
prompt  and  orderly  acts  which  followed  upon  the  death  of  Ananias,  all 
point  to  a  simple  order  and  discipline  in  the  new  congregations. — 
Wrapped  him  round.  Each  limb  was  enfolded  in  linen  cloths. 
Although  the  burial  was  accomplished  hastily  it  seems  to  have  been 
done  reverentially.  *Dr.  Plumptre  says:  'In  the  act  itself  we  note 
something  like  a  compassionate  respect.  There  is  a  reverence  for 
humanity  that  will  not  permit  men  to  do  as  the  heathen  did,  and  to 
inflict  dishonor  on  the  lifeless  corpse.' — And  buried  him.  In  the 
East  an  interval  of  only  a  few  hours  is  left  between  death  and  burial. 
In  Jerusalem  to-day,  the  rule  is  not  to  defer  burial  more  than  three 
or  four  hours  after  decease. 

Ver.  7.  It  was  about  the  space  of  three  hours  after,  Tvhen 
his  wife.  Perhaps  she  was  puzzled  at  the  long  absence  of  her  hus- 
band, who  had  left  her  to  present  his  gift  formally  to  the  Church.  No 
one,  it  has  been  suggested,  had  as  yet  had  the  courage  to  tell  her  of  her 
husband's  doom. — Came  in.  A  second  assembly  of  the  Church  might 
have  been  sitting,  if  the  Jewish  hours  of  prayer  were  rigidly  attended 
to ;  but  it  is  more  likely  that  the  Apostles,  and  many  with  them,  remained 


54  ACTS  V.  [5:  8-11. 

8  And  Peter  answered  unto  her,  Tell  me  whether  ye  sold 
the  land  for  so  much.     And  she  said,  Yea,  for  so  much. 

9  But  Peter  said  unto  her,  How  is  it  that  ye  have  agreed 
together  to  tempt  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  ?  behold,  the 
feet  of  them  which  have  buried  thy  husband  are  at  the 

10  door,  and  they  shall  carry  thee  out.  And  she  fell  down 
immediately  at  his  feet,  and  gave  up  the  ghost :  and  the 
young  men  came  in  and  found  her  dead,  and  they  car- 

11  ried  her  out  and  buried  her  by  her  husband.     And 

together  during  the  absence  of  the  young  men  who  were  attending  to  the 
burial. 

Ver.  8.  Peter  answered  unto  her.  Her  entrance  into  the 
assembly,  where  one  sad  thought  was  present  in  each  one's  heart,  was, 
as  Bengel  happily  says,  equivalent  to  her  speaking.  So  Peter,  looking 
at  her,  answers  her  mute  look  of  inquiry  with  the  words,  Tell  me 
•whether  ye  sold  the  land  for  so  much  ?  pointing  at  the  same 
time  to  the  money  Ananias  had  laid  at  his  feet  three  hours  before.  Had 
she  at  this  moment  possessed  the  courage  to  confess  the  truth,  she  had 
been  saved ;  but  she  practiced  the  same  miserable  deceit  as  her  husband 
and  repeated  the  lie :   '  Yea,  for  so  much.' 

Ver.  9.  How  is  it  that  ye  have  agreed  together  to  tempt 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  ?  The  sin  of  Ananias  was  not  committed 
hastily,  but  was  a  preconcerted  scheme  into  which  Sapphira  entered. 
This  evidently  in  the  Apostle's  mind  was  a  serious  aggravation  of  their 
guilt.  It  was  as  though  they  wished  to  test  the  omniscience  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. — Behold,  the  feet  of  them  which  have  buried  thy  hus- 
band. By  voice  and  gesture  calling  attention  to  the  return  of  the 
young  men.  The  Apostle's  words  told  the  whole  story  to  the  unhappy 
woman  of  the  calamity  that  had  overtaken  her  husband,  the  futility  of 
attempting  to  deceive  the  Spirit  and  her  own  approaching  judgment. 

Ver.  10.  Found  her  dead.  The  death  was  instantaneous.  She 
lay  dead  in  the  midst  of  the  assembly,  and  the  young  men  laid  her  in 
the  grave  at  the  side  of  her  husband. 

Ver.  11.  Great  fear  came  upon  the  w^hole  church,  and 
upon  all  that  heard  these  things.  Within  and  without  the  story 
was  told.  On  the  Church,  on  all  the  city  and  neighborhood,  fell  the 
shadow  of  that  great  fear — which  was  of  the  nature  of  '  a  deep  awe.' 
'The  rulers  of  the  Jews,'  says  Bengel,  'without  doubt  heard  of  these 
things,  and  yet  they  did  not  institute  proceedings  on  that  account  against 
Peter.'  This  immediate  effect  was  one  of  the  ends  the  judgment  wa3 
intended  to  produce.  But  as  the  fire  which  consumed  Nadab  and 
Abihu  (Lev.  10:  2)  burned  no  more  after  that  first  awful  judgment,  and 
the  earth  which  opened  to  swallow  up  Korah  (Numb.  26 :  10)  remained 
for  ever  closed,  though  seemingly  worse  acts  dishonored  the  Land  of 


5:  11.]  ACTS  V.  55 

great  fear  came  upon  the  whole  church,  and  upon  all 
that  heard  these  things. 

Promise,  so  the  deaths  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira  were  never  repeated. 
The  purpose  of  the  divine  severity  had  been  secured.  The  name  Ananias 
is  the  same  as  Ananiah  one  of  the  builders  of  the  wall  of  Jerusalem 
(Neh.  3:  23),  and  signifies  'cloud  of  gold,'  or  possibly  is  identical  with 
Hananiah  (Dan.  1 :  6),  which  means  '  mercy  of  God,'  Sapphira  is 
derived  from  the  Greek  and  means  'sapphii-e,'  or  from  the  Syriac  and 
means  'beautiful.' — *The  -whole  church.  This  is  the  first  time  the 
term  is  used  in  the  Acts.  It  is  used  twice  by  our  Lord  (Matt.  16:  18; 
18:  17).  The  Gospels  employ  the  word  'kingdom  of  heaven'  to  denote 
the  spiritual  substance  of  the  Church  and  the  body  of  believers.  The 
Greek  term,  ecde.sia,  from  which  we  have  'ecclesiastical'  is  composed  of 
two  words,  meaning  to  'call  out,'  and  thus  the  Church  designates  the 
body  chosen  or  elected  from  the  world.  In  the  New  Testament,  church 
never  means  a  building,  but  always  either  the  whole  body  of  Christians 
(Eph.  1 :  22),  or  a  special  local  congregation  (Acts  13 :  1 ;  2  Thess.  1 :  1), 
or  assembly  (Acts  19:  32). 

*  Pbactical  Notes.— Even  in  the  early  Church  when  there  was  so  much  enthuaiasm 
for  Christ,  the  tares  grew  up  with  the  wheat.  The  sharp  contrast  between  Barnabas, 
with  the  mention  of  whom  the  preceding  chapter  closed,  and  Ananias  is  a  fruitful 
topic  of  meditation.  The  former  joined  the  company  of  believers,  and  his  name  after- 
wards became  a  name  of  honor  in  the  Church.  The  latter  also  joined  the  company  of 
believers,  but  his  name  became  a  name  of  dishonor  and  shame.  It  was  so  in  the  nar- 
rower circle  of  the  twelve  disciples.  All  came  into  close  contact  with  the  Lord.  But 
while  Peter  and  John  became  eminent  witnesses  of  Christ,  Judas  betrayed  him.  Contact 
with  good  men  and  enjoyment  of  the  privileges  of  grace  do  not  make  all  good.  That 
result  depends  upon  the  attitude  of  our  hearts. — The  sin  of  Ananias  consisted  not  in 
retaining  a  part  of  his  property,  but  in  pretending  to  give  up  all.  It  was  not  the 
amount  of  the  gift,  but  the  perjury  and  dissembling  which  made  him  guilty.  Ambi- 
tion was  the  ground  of  his  giving  up  a  part ;  avarice  the  ground  of  his  withholding  a 
part.  Sincerity  and  purity  of  motive  are  the  first  requisites  of  acceptableness  with 
God.  Ananias  was  probably  led  to  enter  the  Church  from  worldly  policy.  And  in  his 
gift  he  sought  to  secure  a  reputation  for  the  saintliness,  without  the  reality,  of  sacrifice. 
'He  sought  the  praise  of  men  more  than  the  praise  of  Gk)d.' — Forethought  adds  to  the 
^ilt  of  an  evil  act.  The  deception  of  Ananias  was  premeditated.  He  had  counselled 
with  Sapphira  over  the  matter  and  she  became  confederate  with  him  in  the  plan  of 
lying  to  the  Holy  Ghost.  A  sin  under  the  heat  and  excitement  of  the  moment  is  Lad, 
but  when  it  is  deliberately  planned,  as  in  intentionally  resisting  the  appeals  of  divine 
grace,  the  case  is  much  aggravated. — Moral  evil  cannot  be  divorced  from  the  Evil  one. 
Satan  who  was  the  first  liar  (John  8  :  44)  filled  Auanias's  heart  as  he  had  filled  the  heart 
of  Judas  (John  13 :  27).  He  is  the  great  enemy.  But  no  one  is  overcome  by  him  with- 
out consenting  to  his  wiles.  Ananias  could  have  shut  his  heart  to  him.  Man,  if  he 
wills,  can  resist  the  devil  (I  Pet.  5:9;  Jam.  4  :  7).  He  who  repels  Satan  will  have  little 
trouble  with  sin. — It  must  needs  be  that  offences  come,  but  woe  to  him  by  whom  the 
offence  cometh.    The  severity  of  the  punishment  of  Ananias  was  in  proportion  to  the 


56  ACTS  V.  [5 :  12,  13. 

Chapter  5:  12-16. 
Miraculous  Powers  of  the  Apostles, 

12  And  by  the  hands  of  the  apostles  were  many  signs 
and  wonders  wrought  among  the  people ;  and  they  were 

13  all  with  one  accord  in  Solomon's  porch.     But  of  the 
rest  durst  no  man  join  himself  to  them :  how^beit  the 

importance  of  the  issues.  His  sin  was  great,  and  the  danger  of  his  example  was 
equally  great.  God  could  not  leave  so  dangerous  a  precedent  pass  by  without  the 
severest  rebuke.  Holiness  was  to  be  engraven  on  the  front  of  the  early  Church  and 
the  terrible  punishment  of  the  dissembling  professor  did  act  as  a  solemn  warning,  and 
inspired  the  Church  with  awe.  The  stretching  forth  of  God's  hand  in  the  healing  of 
the  lame  man  tended  to  build  up  the  Church,  the  severe  penalty  of  Ananias  to  save  it 
from  the  danger  of  a  shallow  profession  as  a  substitute  for  saintly  piety. — As  Cain 
stands  at  the  very  threshold  of  human  history,  as  a  warning  against  undervaluing 
man's  life,  so  Ananias  stands  at  the  threshold  of  the  Christian  Church,  as  a  warning 
against  insincerity  towards  God  and  undervaluing  His  holiness. 

Miraculous  Powers  of  the  Apostles,  vers.  12-16. 

Ver.  12.  By  the  hands  of  the  apostles  were  many  signs 
and  w^onders  "wrought.  The  relations  of  the  Church  towards  the 
outside  world  are  now  dwelt  on.  All  public  teaching  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  had  been  strictly  forbidden  (chap.  4:  18).  But  the  Apostles 
determined  to  disregard  the  prohibition,  and  after  the  terrible  event  just 
recorded,  seem  to  have  pressed  on  in  their  work  with  greater  enthu- 
siasm than  before,  and  with  marked  success.  The  miracles  of  healing 
were  in  striking  contrast  with  the  scenes  of  terror  just  witnessed. — 
They  were  all  with  one  accord  in  Solomon's  porch.  This 
refers  to  the  believers.  While  the  Apostles  were  busied  in  their  work  of 
healing  and  teaching,  they  would  meet  together  at  different  hours  in  the 
great  cloistered  court  of  the  Temple,  called  Solomon's  Porch. 

Ver.  13.  But  of  the  rest  durst  no  man  join  himself  to  them. 
All  who  were  not  believers  —  that  is,  the  people  generally.  Many 
great  expositors  have  preferred  to  understand  by  all  (ver.  12),  the  Apos- 
tles only,  and  not  all  the  Christians,  and  have  regarded  these  words  of 
ver.  13  as  added,  to  show  with  what  reverence  the  Twelve  were  looked 
upon  either  by  the  people  generally,  or  by  the  believers,  or  by  both. 
'None  of  the  rest,  whether  believers  or  unbelievers,  ventured  to  equal 
themselves  to  the  Apostles.  They  kept  at  "a  distance  from  them,  regard- 
ing them  as  an  isolated  group,  as  superhuman,  as  beings  distinct  fi"om 
themselves.'  But  the  exposition  that  '  all '  refers  to  the  believers  and 
'the  rest'  to  the  people  generally,  is  the  easiest  and  most  obvious.  It 
is  the  view  most  in  accordance  with  the  simplicity  of  early  Christian 
tradition,  which  resolutely  sets  itself  against  all  unnatural  separation  of 
ranks  and  orders.     What  could  be  more  contrary  to  the  ordinary  loving 


6 :  14,  15.]  ACTS  V.  57 

14  people  magnified  them;  ^and  believers  were  the  more 
added  to  the  Lord,  multitudes  both  of  men  and  women ; 

15  insomuch  that  they  even  carried  out  the  sick  into  the 
streets,  and  laid  them  on  beds  and  couches,  that,  as 
Peter  came  by,  at  the  least  his  shadow  might  over- 

1  Or,  and  there  were  the  more  added  to  them,  believing  on  the  Lord. 

intercourse  between  the  Apostles  and  their  disciples,  than  a  statement 
which  represents  the  Apostles  as  an  isolated  group,  fenced  off  from  the 
mass  of  believers  and  looked  upon  as  superhuman, 

Ver.  14.  Believers  -were  the  more  added  to  the  Lord.  A 
sense  of  religious  awe  kept  the  crowds  who  thronged  the  Temple  courts 
from  intruding  upon  the  believers,  and  disturbing  them  when  they  met 
together;  but  multitudes  impressed  with  the  truth  of  what  the  Apostles 
were  preaching,  kept  joining  their  ranks  as  followers  of  the  Lord,  The 
numbers  were  now  so  great  that  the  historian  no  longer  i#3ords  them, 
as  on  the  three  previous  occasions  (chap,  1 :  15;  2:  41 ;  4:  4). — Multi- 
tudes both  of  men  and  women.  One  of  several  special  notices 
in  the  history  of  the  early  Church  of  women  (chap.  1:  14;  8:  3,  etc.). 
See  the  Excursus  at  the  end  of  the  section. 

Ver.  15.  Into  the  streets.  Those  between  the  house  of  the  Christian 
assembly  and  the  Temple.  The  growing  admiration  and  respect  for  the 
Apostles,  who  enforced  their  burnir.g  words  with  such  mighty  acts, 
remind  us  of  the  still  greater  enthusiasm  excited  by  the  Lord  (see  Mark 
2:  1,  2;  6:  55,  56). — At  the  least  his  shadow.  Peter  especially 
is  mentioned  as  the  leader  of  the  Apostles,  for  there  is  no  doubt  but  that 
both  in  reality  and  also  in  the  popular  estimation,  he  was  acknowledged 
as  such.  It  is  distinctly  implied  that  some  of  the  miraculous  cures  which 
followed,  were  effected  by  Peter's  shadow  falling  upon  the  sick.  They 
were  brought  fci'vcntly  trusting  to  be  healed.  Other  instances  where  the 
healing  virtue  appears  to  exist  in  the  person,  independent  of  all  instru- 
ments, are  very  rare,  as  in  the  case  of  her  who  touched  the  Lord's  gar- 
ment (Luke  8:  4C),  and  those  who  touched  the  handkerchiefs,  etc., 
which  before  had  touched  Paul's  skin  (Acts  19:  12).  Dean  Alford  has 
an  admirable  note  here;  'In  this  and  similar  narratives,  Christian  faith 
finds  no  difficulty  whatever.  All  miraculous  working  is  an  exertion  of 
the  direct  power  of  God — a  suspension  by  Ilim  of  His  ordinary  laws; 
and  whether  He  will  use  any  instrument  in  doing  this,  or  what  instru- 
ment, must  depend  altogether  on  His  own  purpose  in  the  miracle — the 
effect  to  be  produced  on  the  recipients,  beholders,  or  hearers,  Without 
His  special  selection  and  enabling,  all  instruments  were  vain;  with  them, 
all  are  capable.  "What  is  a  hand  or  a  voice  more  than  a  shadow,  except 
that  the  analogy  of  the  ordinary  instrument  is  a  greater  help  to  faith  ia 
the  recipient  ?  When  faith,  as  apparently  here,  did  not  need  this  help, 
the  less  likely  medium  was  adopted 


68  ACTS  V.  [5 :  16. 

16  shadow  some  one  of  them.  And  there  also  came  to- 
gether the  multitude  from  the  cities  round  about  Jeru- 
salem, bringing  sick  folk,  and  them  that  were  vexed 
with  unclean  spirits :  and  they  were  healed  every  one. 

Ver.  16.     With   unclean   spirits.     The  subject  cf  *  demoniacal 
possession'  is  discussed  in  chap.  16;  16. 

Excursus  ox  the  Position  of  Women  in  the  Christian  Systkm.— Among  the 
causes  which  have  contributed  to  the  rapid  spread  of  Christianity,  and  even  in  the 
most  degraded  centres  to  produce  a  new  and  higher  moral  tone  of  thought  and  life,  the 
influence  of  women  has  hardly  received  its  due  share  of  attention. — The  religion  of 
Christ,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  world,  gave  to  woman  her  proper  share 
of  dignity  and  influence  in  society.  In  the  group  nearest  the  Saviour  during  his  earthly 
life  were  women.  Among  his  most  intimate  friends,  the  sisters  of  Bethany  held  a  dis- 
tinguiiihed  place.  These  women  stood  in  the  shadow  of  the  cross,  arranged  with  tender 
care  the  spices  and  grave  clothes  of  the  tomb  and  were  among  the  first  who  with  joy 
welcomed  the  #isen  One,  and  are  specially  mentioned  as  having  been  at  the  meetings 
of  the  Apostles  after  the  ascension  (Acts  1 :  14).  In  the  three  great  nations  of  antiquity, 
very  different  was  the  ordinary  position  of  woman.  The  usual  Oriental  depreciation 
of  the  sex  existed  among  the  Hebrews,  [but  she  had  a  more  honorable  position].  Poly- 
gamy, to  a  certain  extent,  was  practiced  by  David,  Solomon  and  others.  The  estimate 
of  women  among  the  Jews  of  a  much  later  date,  is  shown  in  the  apocrj-phal  Book  of 
Ecclesiasticus :  *  The  badness  of  men  is  better  than  the  goodness  of  women.'  In  Greece 
— we  speak  of  the  historic  age — the  foremost  and  most  prominent  type  of  womanhood 
was  Asp.isia,  [a  respectable  prostitute,  whom  Socrates  visited  '  to  talk  on  the  question 
how  she  might  ply  her  occupation  with  most  profit.']  Virtuous  women  lived  out  of 
public  sight,  condemned  by  an  iron  custom  to  live  in  perfect  seclusion.  Turning  to 
Rome  in  the  days  of  the  republic,  while  the  legal  position  of  the  Roman  women  was 
extremely  low.  still  the  manners  of  the  rising  city  were  so  severe  that  the  prominent 
type  of  womanhood  was  a  far  purer  one  than  in  Greece ;  but  after  the  Punic  wars 
(200  B.  r.)  had  introduced  into  Eome  the  luxury  and  riches  of  the  East,  the  moral  char- 
acter of  the  people  rapidly  declined.  Dissoluteness  reached  its  climax  in  the  early 
times  of  the  Empire,  and  contemporary  with  the  lives  of  the  Apostles.  Juvenal,  Taci- 
tus and  Suetonius,  paint  the  corrupt  state  of  society,  and  the  degradation  into  which 
the  Roman  ladies  had  sunk,  in  colors  too  vivid  for  a  writer  of  our  age  to  reproduce. 
Of  the  condition  of  woman  in  the  great  Eastern  monarchies  of  the  old  world,  it  is  need- 
less to  speak.  The  present  childish  seclusion  of  women,  their  complete  separation  from 
all  public  society  and  work  in  the  East,  is  a  fair  representation  of  the  existence  which 
they  led  in  all  the  great  Oriental  kingdoms  before  the  days  of  Christ.— But  Christ 
claimed  for  woman  an  equal  place  at  the  side  of  man,  and  her  present  exalted  condition 
is  due  to  the  lifting  influence  of  Christianity.  *  In  close  companionship  loith  Christ,  were 
Mary  his  mother,  Mary  of  Bethany,  Mary  Magdalene,  Salome  and  others.  And  in  the 
Apostolic  Church  there  stand  forth  such  names  as  Dorcas.  Lydia,  Priscilla  and  Phoebe. 
They  early  became  workers  in  the  Church,  and  promoters  of  Christian  charity  and 

benevolence.     In  the  records  of  after  days  are  the  shining  names  of  Monica,  PauUa, 
etc.,  and  the  pure  and  noble  figures  of  women  martyrs,  attract  our  reverence  even  in 


5 :  17-19.]  ACTS  V.  59 

Chapter  5:  17-25. 

Second   Arrest    of  the   Apostles    and   their   Miraculous 

Deliverance. 

17  But  the  high  priest  rose  up,  and  all  they  that  were 
with  him  (which  is  the  sect  of  the  Sadducees),  and  they 

18  were  filled  with  jealousy,  and  laid  hands  on  the  apostles, 

19  and  put  them  in  public  ward.    But  an  angel  of  the  Lord 
by  night  opened  the  prison  doors,  and  brought  them 

that  age  of  heroic  suffering.  Under  the  command  of  and  in  devotion  to  Christ,  they 
have  in  these  modern  dajs  been  foremost  in  alleviating  suffering  in  hospital,  on  battle- 
field and  in  the  houses  of  the  poor.  And  the  names  of  Florence  Nightingale,  Elizabeth 
Fry  and  others,  challenge  the  admiration  of  mankind.  This  complete  change  in  wo- 
man's position,  is  due  to  the  influence  of  Chiistianity. 

Second  Arrest  of  the  Apostles  and  their  ILraculous  Deliverance,  vers.  17-25. 

Ver.  17.  But  the  high  priest  rose  up.  Not  from  his  seat  in 
the  Sanhedrin,  for  he  is  not  said  to  have  been  sitting.  It  implies  that 
the  high  priest  was  excited  and  alarmed  at  the  growing  numbers  and 
influence  of  the  Church.  Annas  is  no  doubt  referred  io,  as  in  ch.  4:  6, 
though  Caiaphas  nominally  was  high  priest. — All  they  that  wbtb 
^^^ith  him.  Those  who  sympathized  with  him  in  his  bitter  hatred  of 
Christ's  followers. — Which  is  the  sect  of  the  Sadducees.  The 
preaching  of  the  resurrection  excited  the  anger  of  the  Sadducees,  and 
the  increase  in  the  number  of  those  who  believed  it,  aroused  their 
jealousy.  Many  (see  note  on  chap.  4:  1)  of  the  most  influential  of  the 
nation  belonged  to  this  sect. 

Ver.  18.  The  apostles.  Peter  and  others  of  them.  It  does  not 
necessarily  mean  the  whole  body. — In  pubjic  "waid.  This  is  spe- 
cially mentioned,  that  there  may  be  no  doubt  of  the  supernatural  deliv- 
erance that  night. 

Ver.  19.  An  angel  of  the  Lord.  Some  critics  have  refused  to 
acknowledge  the  miraculous  character  of  this  deliverance,  and  have 
suggested  that  an  earthquake  opened  the  doors  of  the  prison,  or  that  a 
secret  friend  of  the  Nazarenes,  or  a  prison  ofiicial,  were  the  instruments 
of  the  Apostles'  escape.  But  the  narrative  admits  of  no  such  explana- 
tion. It  is  a  simple  matter-of-fact  statement,  and  to  guard  against  any 
such  false  expositions,  the  very  words  spoken  by  the  angel  to  Peter  are 
given  us.  The  frequency  of  angelic  interference  in  the  early  days  of 
the  Church  is  remarkable.  The  word  angel  occurs  twenty  times  in  the 
Acts  (Wordsworth).  Six  distinct  works  of  angels  are  related,  chap.  5: 
19;  8:  26;  10:  3;  12:  7,  23;  27:  23.— Opened  the  prison  doors. 
It  has  been  asked.  What  was  the  purpose  of  this  miraculous  interference 
since  they  were  brought  the  following  day  before  the  council  and  shame- 
fully beaten?     But  surely  its  efl'ects  were  immediately  felt — (1)  by  th« 


60  ACTS  V.  [5 :  20-24. 

20  out,  and  said,  Go  ye,  and  stand  and  speak  in  the  tem- 

21  pie  to  the  people  all  the  words  of  this  Life.  And  when 
they  heard  this,  they  entered  into  the  temple  about  day- 
break, and  taught.  But  the  high  priest  came,  and  they 
that  were  with  him,  and  called  the  council  together,  and 
all  the  senate  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  sent  to  the 

22  prison-house  to  have  them  brought.  But  the  officers 
that  came  found  them  not  in  the  prison ;  and  they  re- 

23  turned,  and  told,  saying,  The  prison-house  we  found 
shut  in  all  safety,  and  tlie  keepers  standing  at  the  doors : 
but  when  we  had  opened,  we  found  no  man  within. 

24  Now  when  the  captain  of  the  temple  and  the  chief 
priests  heard  these  words,  they  were  much  perplexed 

Apostles,  to  whose  faith  new  strength  was  added  by  this  visible  mani- 
festation of  the  protecting  hand  :  fearlessly  they  appear  in  the  most 
public  spot  the  next  morning,  again  proclaiming  the  name  of  the  Mas- 
ter; (2)  by  the  Sadducee  chiefs,  whose  perplexity  and  anxiety  were 
increased  by  this  new  proof  of  a  strange  power  connected  with  these 
men. 

Ver,  20.  Go  ye,  and  stand  and  speak  in  the  temple.  The 
very  words  spoken  by  the  angel  and  perhaps  just  as  the  new  day  was 
dawning. — All  the  words  of  this  Life.  Stress  is  laid  upon  the 
words  this  Life,  the  existence  of  which  the  Sadducees  denied.  *The 
term  refers  to  the  life  in  Christ,  the  everlasting  life  which  he  has  who 
believes  in  Christ,  and  which  beginning  here  with  the  implanted  germ 
goes  on  beyond  the  grave.  It  is  that  life  which  consists  in  knowing 
God  and  Jesus  Christ  (.John  17:  3). 

Ver.  21.  They  entered  Into  the  temple  about  daybreak. 
During  many  months  of  the  year  in  the  Holy  Land,  the  heat  becomes 
too  oppressive  for  the  ordinary  labor  of  the  day  soon  after  sunrise.  In 
the  early  dawn  (see  John  20:  1)  the  work  of  the  day  would  begin,  and 
the  worshippers  would  have  arrived  at  the  Temple  when  Peter  got  there. 
— And  all  the  senate  of  the  children  of  Israel.  Meyer,  Alford 
and  Stier  understand  by  these  words,  that  a  special  meeting  of  elders 
was  summoned  to  consult  with  the  Sanhedrin  in  this  diflBcult  matter, 
but  the  word  senate  (yepnvoin),  which  occurs  only  here,  is  constantly 
used  in  the  second  book  of  the  Maccabees  for  the  Sanhedrin.  The 
meaning  here  seems  to  be  that  on  this  occasion  there  was  a  full  meet- 
ing of  the  council,  including  all  the  elders  who  were  members. 

Ver.  24.  The  captain  of  the  temple.  As  before  (4:  1),  the 
Jewish  priest  in  command  of  the  Levite  guard  of  the  Temple.  This 
'priestly'  captain  was  most  probably  himself  one  of  the  '  chief  priests,' 
and  in  consequence  had  a  seat  in  the  Sanhedrin. — The  chief  priests. 


5 :  25,  26.]  ACTS  V.  61 

25  concerning  them  wherennto  this  would  grow.  And 
there  came  one  and  told  them,  Behold,  the  men  whom 
ye  put  in  the  prison  are  in  the  temj^le  standing  and 
teaching  the  people. 

Chapter  5:  26-42. 
The  Trial  of  the  Apostles  and  the  Counsel  of  Gamaliel, 

26  Then  went  the  captain  with  the  officers,  and  brought 

This  order  is  supposed  to  have  been  made  up — (1)  of  those  men  who 
had  formerly  borne  the  title  and  rank  of  high  priest,  an  office  at  this 
time  only  held  during  the  pleasure  of  the  Roman  Government;  (2)  of 
the  heads  of  the  twenty-four  priestly  courses. — *  Perplexed  con- 
cerning them.  Not  concerning  the  Apostles  (Meyer),  but  concern- 
ing the  report  about  the  prison  which  they  had  just  heard  from  the 
officers  (Hackett,  Lumby).  It  is  noticeable  that  the  council  asked  the 
Apostles  no  questions  about  the  manner  of  their  escape.  They  no  doubt 
■wished  to  avoid  the  testimony  of  the  miraculous  deliverance.  They 
had  on  the  previous  occasion  been  confounded  and  abashed  by  disa- 
greeable evidence  in  the  lame  man,  who  stood  before  them  healed. — 
Concerning  them  whereunto  this  would  gorow.  The  strange 
unexplained  escape  not  only  filled  them  with  terror,  but  would  serve 
to  excite  the  popular  mind,  already  so  much  moved  in  favor  of  the 
new  sect. 

*Pbactical  Notes. — Blessings  and  trials  alternated  in  the  early  Church.  Uninter- 
rupted prosperitj'  and  growth  might  have  been  fatal  to  the  development  of  the  finer 
Christian  graces,  humility,  trust,  patience  and  purity.  The  Church  was  to  develop  in 
spite  of  persecuticn,  that  the  power  of  God  might  t>e  the  more  manifest  in  the  stead- 
fast faith  and  undaunted  courage  of  the  Apostles. — Prison  bolts  cannot  bar  out  God. 
He  is  everywhere— not  only  in  the  temple  or  in  the  upper  room  where  the  Church 
met.  This  great  truth  it  was  well  to  impress  early  on  the  Church.  In  darkness  and 
in  the  cell  (as  with  Bunyau)  He  manifests  Himself.  We  may  apply  what  Eichard 
Lovelace  wrote : 

'  Stone  walls  do  not  a  prison  make, 
Nor  iron  bars  a  cage.' 

— A  divine  But  follows  Satan's  devices  for  the  faithful  believer  (ver.  22).  Now  it  is  an 
angelic  interposition,  now  some  other  messenger  divinely  sent  in  prayer,  or  the  read- 
ing of  the  AVord,  or  Christian  counsel.  Joseph  said  to  his  brothers,  '  Ye  thought  evil 
against  me,  but  God  meant  it  unto  good  '  (Gen.  50  :  20).  For  similar  contrasts  see  Acts 
12:  5;  16:  25,  etc. — Duty  performed  in  danger  is  better  than  safety  with  duty  unper- 
formed. The  Apostles  went  back  to  the  temple  and  carripd  on  their  work.  Faithful- 
ness often  requires  '  resistance  unto  blood,'  but  such  faithfulness  receives  the  '  crown 
of  life  ' 

The  Trial  of  the  Apostles  and  the    Coujisel  of  Gamaliel,  vers.  26-42. 
Ver.  26.     And  brought  them,  but  "without  violence ;   for 


62  ACTS  V.  [5:  27-30. 

them,  hut  without  violence ;  for  they  feared  the  people, 

27  lest  they  should  be  stoned.  And  when  they  had  brought 
them,  they  set  them  before  the  council.     And  the  high 

28  priest  asked  them,  saying,  We  straitly  charged  you  not 
to  teach  in  this  name :  and  behold,  ye  have  filled  Jeru- 
salem with  your  teaching,  and  intend  to  bring  this 

29  man's  blood  upon  us.  But  Peter  and  the  apostles  an- 
swered and  said.  We  must  obey  God  rather  than  men. 

30  The  God  of  our  fathers  raised  up  Jesus,  whom  ye  slew, 

they  feared  the  people.  At  this  period  the  popular  favor  which 
the  Apostles  enjoyed  had  probably  reached  its  culminating  point.  The 
miraculous  cures  of  the  sick  had  attracted  large  numbers,  the  earnest 
preaching  had  won  thousands  to  the  faith,  and  the  spirit  of  love  and 
self-denying  distribution  of  alms  had  secured  the  admiration  and  fovor 
of  the  people.  The  tide,  however,  soon  turned,  and  a  few  months  later 
a  bitter  persecution  was  raging  against  the  Church  (Acts  8:  1). 

Ver.  28.  "We  straitly  charged  you  not  to  teach  in  this 
name,  etc.  A  concealed  dread  underlies  the  whole  of  the  high  priest's 
accusation.  He  does  not  ask  them  how  they  came  to  be  in  the  Temple 
teaching  that  morning.  He  also  avoids  mentioning  the  name  of  Jesus, 
uttering  no  doubt  with  contempt  the  words,  'this  name,'  'your  teach- 
ing,' 'this  man's  blood.'  The  real  charge  was  of  disobedience  to  a 
decree  of  the  Sanhedrin  and  an  attempt  to  excite  the  people  to  rise 
against  the  Sanhedrists,  as  the  murderers  of  Jesus.  Had  not  unex- 
pected friends  been  found  in  the  assembly  itself,  no  popular  favor  with- 
out could  have  saved  the  Apostles  then  from  a  most  severe  sentence  of 
imprisonment,  perhaps  of  death  (ver.  33) ;  for  the  council's  exaspera- 
tion was  aggravated  by  the  bold  words  of  Peter  charging  them  to  their 
face  with  murdering  the  Messiah  (ver.  30). 

Ver.  29.  We  must  obey  God  rather  than  men.  Peter  here 
commences  his  defence  with  the  same  solemn  argument  he  had  used 
before  (4:  19).  He  no  doubt  had  in  mind  the  command  of  the  angel, 
the  night  before,  bidding  him  stand  and  preach  publicly  in  the  Temple. 
Not  in  this  book  of  the  Acts  do  we  find  any  of  the  leaders  of  Christianity 
unfaithful  to  this  principle.  Notwithstanding,  however,  we  find  them 
quietly  and  without  murmuring,  submitting  to  any  penalty  the  law' of 
the  land  enforced  against  them. 

Ver.  30.  The  God  of  our  fathers.  Identifying  himself  with  the 
glorious  line  of  patriarchs,  prophets  and  kings  from  whom  Christianity 
did  not  sever  them. — Raised  up  Jesus.  Not  'from  the  dead,'  but 
from  the  seed  of  David  as  the  Sejit  of  God.  This  interpretation,  admir- 
ably agrees  with  the  order  in  time  of  tlie  events  named  by  Peter,  'raised 
up  from  the  seed  of  David,'  'slain  by  you,'  'did  exalt'  Jesus,  the  name 
dreaded  and  unnamed  by  the  high  priest,  but  gloried  in  by  the  Apostle. 


5:  31-34.]  ACTS  V.  63 

31  hanging  him  on  a  tree.  Him  did  God  exalt  ^with  his 
right  hand  to  he  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  for  to  give 

32  repentance  to  Israel,  and  remission  of  sins.  And  we 
are  witnesses  ^of  these  "^ things;  ^and  so  is  the  Holy 
Ghost,  whom  God  hath  given  to  them  that  obey  him. 

33  But  they,  when  they  heard  this,  were  cut  to  the 

34  heart,  and  were  minded  to  slay  them.  But  there  stood 
up  one  in  the  council,  a  Pharisee,  named  Gamaliel,  a 
doctor  of  the  law,  had  in  honour  of  all  the  people,  and 

.     1  Or,  at.  '^  Some  ancient  authorities  add  in  him.  3  Gr.  sai/hifjs. 

*  Some  ancient  authorities  read  and  God  hath  given  the  Holy  Ghost  to  them  that 
obey  him. 

— "Whom  ye  sle"w.  The  Greek  "word  is  chosen  with  pointed  signifi- 
cance, and  is  very  severe. — Hanging  him  on  a  tree.  The  cross. 
The  council  would  remember  how  this  death  was  pronounced  accursed 
(Deut.  21 :  23). 

Ver.  31.  To  be  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour.  A  Prince  to  whom 
all  Israel  owes  obedience,  and  the  one  by  whom  you  must  be  saved 
from  your  sins. — Repentance  to  Israel,  and  remission  of  sins. 
This  was  the  purpose  of  the  exaltation  of  the  Crucified.  With  his  ex- 
altation, the  working  of  Jesus  from  his  throne  in  heaven  began.  By 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  he  brought  men  to  a  change  of  heart,  and 
then  through  faith  in  him,  which  came  with  their  change  of  heart,  he 
made  them  sharers  in  his  remission  of  sins. 

Ver.  32.  We  are  witnesses  of  these  things.  That  is  the 
death  on  the  cross  and  the  ascension ;  but  they  were  witnesses  in  a 
higher  sense  of  their  Master's  exaltation,  as  conscious  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
who  he  promised  should  descend  upon  them  when  once  he  had  ascended, 
and  so  did  at  Pentecost.— And  so  is  the  Holy  Ghost.  Ilis  testi- 
mony was  publicly  borne  by  the  miracles  performed  by  the  Apostlea 
through  his  power,  *the  speaking  with  tongues  and  the  shaking  of  the 
house. 

Ver.  33.  They  were  cut  to  the  heart.  Literally,  'they  were 
cut  asunder  as  with  a  saw*  (so  the  Vulgate,  dixsccabaiitur). 

Ver.  34.  A  Pharisee,  named  Gamaliel,  a  doctor  of  the  law. 
This  scrilje  was  the  celebrated  Gamaliel  the  elder,  and  the  grandson  of 
Ilillel,  the  famous  founder  of  one  of  the  rabbinical  schools.  He  was 
held  in  high  estimation  as  a  most  learned  and  devout  Pharisee.  'As 
among  the  Schoolmen  Aquinas  and  Bonaventura  were  called  respec- 
tively the  'Angelic'  and  'Seraphic  Doctor,  so  Gamaliel  among  the 
Jews  has  received  the  name  of  the  'Beauty  of  the  Law,'  and  the  Tal- 
mud says, '  since  Ptabban  Gamaliel  died,  the  glory  of  the  Law  has  ceased.' 
He  is  one  of  the  seven  among  the  great  Pvabbis  to  whom  the  Jews  gave 
the  title  of  Rabban  (Howson,  Life  of  St.  Paul).  It  was  this  Gamaliel 
at  whose  feet  Paul  sat  (Acts  22:  3).     The  Clementi/fi  Recognitions,  an 


64  ACTS  V.  [5 ;  35,  36. 

35  commanded  to  put  the  men  forth  a  little  while.  And 
he  said  unto  them,  Ye  men  of  Israel,  take  heed  to  your- 
selves as  touching  these  men,  what  ye  are  about  to  do. 

36  For  before  these  days  rose  up  Theudas,  giving  himself 
out  to  be  somebody ;  to  whom  a  number  of  men,  about 
four  hundred,  joined  themselves:  who  was  slain;  and 
all,  as  many  as  obeyed  him,  were  dispersed,  and  came 

early  Christian  document,  represents  Peter  as  saying,  '  Gamaliel  was  a 
person  of  influence  among  the  people,  but  secretly  our  brother  in  the 
faith'  (1 :  65).  He  was  also  represented  as  a  cousin  of  Nicodemus,  and 
was  said  to  have  been  baptized  by  Peter.  But  it  is  not  likely  that  Gamaliel 
became  a  Christian,  but  that  he  died  a  Pharisee  in  all  the  rigid  accep- 
tation of  the  term.  On  this  occasion  Gamaliel  counselled  moderation, 
and  prevailed  upon  the  Sanhedrin  not  to  adopt  any  violent  measures, 
but  to  let  the  matter  alone ;  for  if  it  were  of  mere  human  origin,  it  would 
come  to  nothing  without  any  interference  of  theirs  ;  if,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  were  divine,  no  human  effort  would  prevail  against  it.  Two 
considerations  seem  to  have  influenced  him — (1)  The  main  accusation 
on  the  part  of  tlie  high  priest  and  Lis  influential  followers  was  the 
earnest  teaching  of  the  resurrection  from  the  dead  ;  a  doctrine  in  which 
he  and  the  Pluu'isees  sympathized  with  the  Apostles  against  the  Sad- 
ducees  in  the  council.  (2)  The  rumors  of  the  mighty  works  which 
accompanied  the  teaching,  no  doubt  caused  grave  misgiving  in  minds 
like  Gamaliel's,  whether  some  basis  of  truth  might  not  underlie  the  whole 
Btury. 

Ver.  35.  Ye  men  of  Israel.  Gamaliel,  as  a  wise  and  far-seeing 
man,  counselled  the  angry  and  unreasoning  zealots  in  the  council,  who 
would  have  taken  the  lives  of  the  teachers  of  the  new  sect,  to  consider 
well  what  they  were  doing;  and  in  confirmation  of  what  he  was  advanc- 
ing, appealed  to  the  experience  of  the  jjast.  From  the  cases  of  two 
well-known  political  agitators  whose  enterprises  utterly  failed,  and 
tliat  without  any  interference  of  the  Sanhedrin,  he  argued  that  the 
matter  they  were  considering,  if  it  was  a  mere  human  device,  would 
soon  fade  away  into  contempt  and  be  forgotten. 

Ver.  36.  For  before  these  days  rose  up  Theudas,  etc.  Jose- 
phus  mentions  (Antt.  20:  5,  1)  a  Theudas  who  persuaded  a  great  com- 
pany of  people  that  he  was  a  prophet,  and  induced  them  to  follow  his 
lea>l.  This  impostor  was  defeated  and  executed  in  the  reign  of  Claudius, 
about  twelve  years  after  this  speech  of  Gamaliel  (45  A.D.).  The  Theu- 
das of  the  text  is  evidently  not  this  man,  as  is  also  plain  from  the  dif- 
ference in  the  details  of  the  two  outbreaks.  Josephus  speaks  of  a 
'great  company  of  people'  following  the  Theudas  wliom  he  mentions, 
while  the  Theudas  of  Gamaliel  had  comparatively  few  adherents,  about 
four  hundred.  Two  insurgents  bearing  the  name  of  Theudas,  must 
have  appeared  at  dilferent  times.     Josephus  relates  how,  at  the  time  of 


5:  37-40.]  ACTS  V.  65 

37  to  nought.  After  this  man  rose  up  Judas  of  Galilee 
in  the  days  of  the  enrolment,  and  drew  awav  some  of 
the  people  after  him:  he  also  perished ;  and  all,  as  many 

38  as  obeyed  him,  were  scattered  abroad.  And  now  I  say 
unto  you,  Refrain  from  these  men,  and  let  them  alone : 
for  if  this  counsel  or  this  work  be  of  men,  it  will  be  over- 

39  thrown  :  but  if  it  is  of  God,  ye  will  not  be  able  to  over- 
throw them ;  lest  haj^ly  ye  be  found  even  to  be  fighting 

40  against  God.     And  to  him  they  agreed :  and  when  they 

the  death  of  Herod  the  Great  (4  b.  c),  the  time  referred  to  by  Gamaliel, 
the  land  was  overrun  by  insurgent  bands  under  the  leadership  of  fana- 
tics. Some  of  the  leaders  he  mentions  by  name,  others  he  merely 
alludes  to  generally.  One  of  these  latter  most  probably  was  the  Theu- 
das  mentioned  by  Gamaliel.  The  name  was  a  common  one.  Josephus 
Avrites  of  four  leaders  of  insurrections  within  forty  years,  by  the  name 
of  Simon. 

Yer.  37.  After  this  man  rose  up  Judas  of  Galilee.  His  ris- 
ing was  a  well-known  one,  and  happened  as  Josephus  tells  us  after  the 
death  of  Herod,  and  in  the  reign  of  Augustus  about  a.d.  6  or  7 — that 
is,  about  twenty-six  years  before  the  arrest  of  the  Apostles.  This  rising 
took  place  afte?-  that  of  Theudas.  Judas  was  a  notorious  Jewish  enthu- 
siast and  founder  of  a  fourth  Jewish  sect  (Josephus).  The  great  fea- 
ture of  his  teaching  was  that  it  was  unlawful  to  pay  tribute  to  Cresar, 
as  God  was  the  only  ruler  of  the  nation.  His  followers  were  dispersed 
and  himself  slain,  but  his  opinions  were  revived  by  the  fierce  faction  of 
the  Zealots,  which  arose  in  the  last  days  of  Jerusalem ;  two  of  his  sons 
were  subsequently  crucified,  and  a  third  was  also  put  to  death  by  the 
Roman  authorities,  as  dangerous  rebels.  —In  the  days  of  the  enrol- 
ment. Not  that  alluded  to  in  Luke  2:  2,  but  one  made  after  the  de- 
thronement of  Archelaus  (6  a.d.),  when  Judca  was  converted  into  a 
Roman  province  with  a  view  to  taxation.  It  was  in  consequence  of  this 
taxing  that  Judas  of  Galilee  revolted. 

Vers.  38,  39.  And  now  I  say  unto  you.  Gamaliel  well  knew, 
if  the  preaching  of  the  Crucified  and  its  strange  attendant  circumstances 
were  merely  a  fanatical  movement,  any  violent  measures  to  suppress  it 
would  only  assist  its  progress.  * '  His  argument  was  forcible  enough. 
Resistance  was  either  needless  or  it  was  hopeless.  If  needless,  it  was 
a  waste  of  energy ;  if  hopelass,  it  involved  a  fatal  risk  besides  that  of 
mere  failure'  (Plumptre). — Lest  haply  ye  be  found  even  to  be 
fighting  against  God.  These  words  betray  a  lurking  suspicion  in 
his  mind  that  in  the  Nazarene  story,  there  was  something  more  than 
met  the  eye  of  the  ordinary  observer;  perhaps  after  all  there  was  in  it 
something  divine. 

Ver.  40.  They  beat  them.  This  cruel  punishment  was  inflicted 
6 


66  ACTS  V.  [5:  41,42. 

had  called  the  apostles  unto  them,  they  beat  them  and 
charged  them  not  to  speak  in  the  name  of  Jesus^  and 

41  let  them  go.  They  therefore  departed  from  the  pre- 
sence of  the  council,  rejoicing  that  they  were  counted 

42  worthy  to  suffer  dishonour  for  the  Name.  And  every 
day,  in  the  temple  and  at  home,  they  ceased  not  to 
teach  and  to  preach  Jesus  as  the  Christ. 

on  the  naked  back  of  the  sufferer.  The  scourge  generally  consisted  of 
two  lashes  knotted  with  bronze,  or  terminated  by  hooks;  it  was  looked 
upon  by  Eomaus  as  so  shameful  a  chastisement  that  it  was  forbidden  to 
be  inflicted  on  a  Roman  citizen. 

Ver.  41.  Rejoicing  that  they  were  counted  vrorthy  to 
suffer  dishonour.  The  first  evidence  of  the  true  martyr-spirit,  which 
welcomes  pain  and  suffering  for  the  sake  of  Christ.  Fearlessness,  the 
first  consequence  of  the  communion  of  the  Risen  Lord  with  his  disciples, 
rapidly  passed  with  them  into  a  glad  and  joyful  readiness  to  welcome 
even  death  for  his  sake.  Peter  and  his  brother  Apostles  bore  their 
joyful  witness  in  this  suffering  of  scourging:  and  Stephen  was  soon  to 
seal  his  testimony  with  his  blood.  *The  Apostles,  no  doubt,  remem- 
bered tlie  beatitude  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  '  Blessed  are  ye  when 
men  shall  persecute  you'  (Matt.  5:  11).  Their  rejoicing  under  perse- 
cution, was  in  part  due  to  the  assurance  of  the  eternal  reward  of  which 
Christ  had  then  spoken,  but  mainly  to  the  recollection  of  his  suflerings 
for  them  and  their  intense  personal  attachment  to  him. — The  Name. 
The  well-known  name  of  the  Redeemer,  that  name  which  is  above  every 
name.  Hackett  well  observes,  'that  it  is  a  loss  to  our  religious  dialect 
that  the  term  in  this  primitive  sense  has  fallen  into  disuse.' 

Ver.  42.  And  every  day,  in  the  temple  and  at  home.  Un- 
dismayed by  any  punishment  in  the  past,  undeterred  by  any  fear  for 
the  future. — And  to  preach  Jesus  as  the  Christ.  Here,  in  one 
word,  the  special  purpose  of  their  teaching  is  told  to  be  to  show,  that 
Jesus  the  Crucified  was  no  other  than  the  promised  Messiah,  the  Christ 
of  God.  -5^ This  is  the  first  time  the  specific  word  preach  is  used  in 
the  Acts,  although  the  Apostles  had  been  preaching  the  Gospel  ever 
since  the  day  of  Pentecost.  The  Greek  term  is  cuavggclizomai,  and  is 
the  same  word  as  euaggelion  translated  Gospel,  and  from  which  we  get 
our  words  evangelize,  evangelist,  etc.  It  is  one  of  the  finest  Avords  of  the 
New  Testament,  pregnant  with  the  joyousncss  and  new  life  of  the  Chris- 
tian revelation.  It  was  used  by  the  angels  in  their  anthem  over  Beth- 
lehem, to  strike  the  keynote  of  the  Gospel  dispensation,  and  is  finely 
translated  in  our  version,  'I  bring  you  good  tidings'  (Luke  2:  10).  In 
other  places  the  word  is  translated  '  to  bring  glad  tidings '  ( 1  Thess. 
3:  6,  etc.),  'to  preach  good  tidings'  (Luke  9:  6;  Rom.  1:  15,  etc.). 
In  other  places  cnanggelizomai  is  joined  with  a  noun,  as  Gospel,  (1  Cor. 
16:  1,  'preach  the  Gospel'  ),  faith   (Gal.  1:  23,  'preach  the  faith"), 


6:  1.]  ACTS  VT.  67 

Chapter  G:  1-7. 

The  First  Dissension  in  the  Church  and  the  Appointment 
of  the  Seven  Deacons. 

6 :  1  Xow  in  these  days,  wlien  the  number  of  the  dis- 
ciples was  multiplying,  there  arose  a  murmuring  of  the 
^  Grecian  Jews  against  the  Hebrews,  because  their  Avid- 

1  Gr.  Hellenists. 

peace  (Eph.  2:  17,  'preached  peace'),  etc.  In  the  present  verse  al- 
though the  Greek  -word  is  translated  by  the  simple  English  'preach,' 
the  joyousness  of  the  contents  of  the  communication  which  the  original 
expresses  must  not  be  lost  sight  of.  The  Tvord  is  a  favorite  one  with 
Luke  and  Paul  who  wrote  for  the  Gentiles,  and  is  only  used  five  timeg 
in  the  New  Testament  outside  of  their  writings  (Matt.  11:  5;  1  I'et.  1: 
25;  4:  6;  Rev.  10:7;  14:6).  The  word  6^o*/»eZ  (euaggelion),  however, 
is  used  by  Matthew  and  Mark  several  times,  but  more  frequently  by 
Luke  an  I  Paul  (especially  the  latter).  Strange  to  say,  John  never 
uses  eitlier  word  a  single  time  either  in  his  Gospel  or  Epistles.  The 
other  words  to  designate  preaching  in  the  New  Testament  arc  teach 
{didasko,  Acts  4:  2,  18,  etc.),  bear  witness  or  iesttft/  (Acts  4:  33;  23:  11, 
etc.),  proclaim  or  herald  (kerusso,  Matt.  3:  1 ;  4:  17,  'preach;'  Acts  8: 
5;  1  Cor.  1 :  23,  etc,).  Each  word  suggests  a  different  phase  of  preach- 
ing. It  is  a  joyous  proclamation,  instruction,  a  simple  witnessing  to 
facts  in  the  life  of  the  Lord,  a  new  and  public  message. 

*Pr\ctical  Xotf.s.— Gamaliel  was  a  waiter  upon  rrovidence.  If  he  did  tliis  from 
sincere  motives,  looking  for  more  light,  he  is  to  be  commended.  But  it  is  more  likely 
that  he  wished  to  hold  himself  neutral,  impressed  no  doubt  with  the  evidence  of  tho 
power  of  God  in  the  guidance  of  the  Church,  and  yet  afraid  to  come  out  boldly  before 
his  fellows.  Like  Xicudemus  (John  3 :  2)  he  perhaps  would  have  gone  to  Christ  under 
cover  of  the  night,  but  unlike  him,  he  never  became  a  Christian,  or  we  should  have 
heard  from  him  further  in  the  Acts.  He  is  thus  the  type  of  a  large  class  of  people  who 
are  neutral  till  a  cause  is  successful,  and  then  profess  sympathy  and  ask  for  a  share  in 
the  rewards,  as  the  tribe  of  Ephraim  used  to  do,  which  was  not  bold  enough  to  face  the 
enemy  but  always  desired  a  share  in  the  spoils  of  victory  (Judg.  12).  They  shrink 
from  committing  themselves  until  the  case  is  decided,  and  are  not  willing  to  venture 
upon  dangers  until  tlie  victory  is  half  won. — The  courage  and  frankness  of  the  unpro- 
tected Apostles  is  in  strange  contrast  to  the  fear  of  the  Sauhedrists  in  council  ('They 
feared  the  people').  The  conduct  of  the  former  is  explained  by  the  justice  of  their 
cause,  the  purity  of  their  motives  and  the  pressure  of  grace. — He  who  suffers  for  Christ, 
pursues  the  road  that  he  trod  and  readies  the  gloiy  he  attained.  For  a  Master  who  was 
nailed  on  the  cross  for  our  sakes  and  offers  a  crown,  it  is  a  joy  and  an  honor  to  suffer. 

The  First  Dissension  in  the  Church  and  the  Appointment  of  the  Seoen 

Deacons,  vers.  1-7. 
There  is  something  very  sad  in  the  brief  statement  contained  in  the 


68  ACTS  YI.  [6:  2. 

2  o^ys  were  neglected  iu  the  daily  ministration.  And  the 
twelve  called  the  multitude  of  the  disciples  unto  them, 
and  said;  It  is  not  ^fit  that  we  should  forsake  the  word 

1  Gr.  pleasinj. 

opening  verses  of  this  sixth  chapter.  It  tells  us  that  the  curtain  had 
fnllen  on  the  first  act  of  the  Church's  history.  Hitherto  unbroken 
peace  had  reigned  in  the  Church  and  a  mutual  love,  which  manifested 
it.-elf  in  the  general  community  of  goods.  But  now  we  see  the  fair  life 
interrupted,  and  the  Apostles  compelled  by  a  dissension  to  make  ar- 
langements  for  governing  the  community.  It  is  a  humiliating  thought 
that  the  first  great  movement  to  organize  ecclesiastical  order  and  disci- 
pline was  forced  upon  the  Apostles  by  an  outburst  of  human  passions 
among  the  believers. 

Ver.  1.  The  number  of  the  disciples  ^T-as  multiplying. 
Every  day  the  number  of  believers  continued  to  increase  in  spite  of  the 
second  arrest  of  the  Apostles  and  the  scourging. — There  arose  a  mur- 
muring. This  dissatisfaction  was  a  consequence  of  the  attempts  to  bring 
about  a  general  conununity  of  goods.— Of  the  Grecian  Jews  against 
the  Hebrews.  The  former  class  were  converts  from  Judaism.  They 
wci-e  Jews,  but  sjtoke  Greek  as  their  ordinary  language,  and  used  the 
Greek  ( Septuagint)  version  of  the  0.  T.  They  lived  in  foreign  parts,  and 
were  also  called  the  Dispersion  (John  7  :  35 ;  Jam.  1  :  1 ;  1  Pet.  1  :  1). 
The  '  Hebrews'  still  continued  to  use  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  and  spoke 
the  dialect  of  the  Hebrew  then  current — the  Aramaic.  The  distinction 
was  not  one  of  nationality,  but  of  language. — Because  their  widow^s 
■were  neglected.  It  is  easy  to  conceive  of  these  poor  lonely  women, 
who  belonged  to  what  was  considered  an  inferior  caste,  being  neglected 
in  such  a  distribution.— The  daily  ministration.  This  refers  to  a 
distribution  of  food  or  money  among  the  poorer  members  of  the  Church. 
The  funds  were  supplied  by  the  free  donations  of  the  richer  brethren 
(chap.  2  :  45 ;  4 :  84).  The  almoners  were,  in  the  first  instance,  the 
Apostles  themselves.  The  real  cause  of  these  '  murmurings '  which 
disturbed  the  peace  of  the  early  Church,  must  be  sought  for  in  the 
jealousy  which  always  existed  between  the  Jews  who,  with  the  ancient 
language,  had  preserved  more  rigidly  the  old  customs  and  tone  of  He- 
brew thought,  and  the  Grecian  or  foreign  Jews  who,  with  the  Greek 
language,  had  adopted  more  liberal  views.  In  time,  the  pure  Hebrew 
JcAVs  resented  the  bi'oad  spirit  which  welcomed  the  Gentile  of  every 
land  and  race  into  the  Church,  and,  standing  partly  aloof,  gradually 
formed  themselves  into  that  company  of  schismatics  known  as  Judaiz- 
ing  Christians,  who  so  bitterly  opposed  Paul  (see  Gal.  ii.). 

Ver.  2.  The  twelve  called  the  multitude  of  the  disciples. 
In  the  first  instance,  the  Apostles  appear  to  have  themselves  attended 
to  the  distribution  of  the  alms.  But  they  seem  at  once  to  have  acknow- 
ledged the  justice  of  the  remonstrance,  and  set  about  to  provide  a 
remedy.     They  determined  upon  a  division  of  labor,  by  which  they 


6:  3.]  ACTS  YI.  G9 

3  of  God,  and  ^  serve  tables.  ^Look  ye  out  therefore, 
brethren,  from  among  you  seven  men  of  good  report, 
full  of  the  Spirit  and  of  wisdom,  whom  we  may  ap- 

1  Or,  minister  to  tables.        2  Somo  ancient  authorities  read  But,  brethren,  look  i/e  out 
from  among  you. 

would  be  relieved,  at  least  in  part,  of  the  responsibility  of  distribiiting 
the  alms,  and  be  able  to  give  themselves  up  more  unreservedly  to 
preaching.  They  summoned  a  meeting  of  the  whole  Church  and,  alter 
explaining  the  case,  left  the  decision  with  the  brethren. 

Ver.  3.  Seven  men  of  good  report.  The  special  number 
'seven'  has  been  made  the  object  of  much  curious  inquiry,  some  sug- 
gesting that  there  were  now  seven  thousand  believers  in  Jerusalem, 
and  that  one  almoner  was  appointed  for  each  thousand;  others,  that 
the  Cliurch  in  the  city  was  divided  into  seven  separate  congregations. 
The  sacredness  of  the  number  seven  has  also  been  suggested  as  the 
reason  for  the  selection  of  this  particular  number  ;  but  the  real  reason 
is  unknown  to  us. — 'these  men  are  called  '  deacons'  in  Church  history, 
because  they  were  chosen  to  '  serve  tables,'  the  word  se}-ve  in  the  Greek 
being  diakoncin,  the  verbal  form  of  the  noun  deacon.  It  is  an  inter- 
esting question  Avhether  we  have  here  an  account  of  the  order  of 
the  ministry,  called  'deacons.'  Although  the  words  diakonein,  to  serve, 
and  diakonia,  the  ministry,  occur  often  in  the  '  Acts,' "j-et  the  word 
diakonos,  deacon  (literally  a  ministering  servant)  never  does.  It  is  used 
three  times  in  the  N.  T.  as  an  olficial  designation  (Phil.  1  :  1  ;  1  Tim. 
3  :  8,  12).  Pliilip,  for  instance,  one  of  the  seven,  is  called,  not  a  dea- 
con, but  an  evangelist  (Acts  2\  :  8).  The  silence  of  the  Acts  causes  us 
at  first  to  hesitate  before  we  identify  the  ordination  of  the  Seven  with 
the  foundation  of  the  third  order  of  the  Christian  Church.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  early  Christian  writers,  Ignatius,  Irenoeus  and  Origen, 
consider  that  we  have  here  the  history  of  the  institution  of  the  diaco- 
nate.  From  Eusebius  we  learn  that  in  his  day  the  Church  of  Rome, 
whilst  it  had  fortyrsix  presbytei-s.  had  only  seven  deacons,  a  strict  imi- 
tation of  the  first  solemn  ordination.  These  men  were  the  formally- 
recognised  assistants  of  the  Apostles  ;  they  were  solemnly  dedicated  to 
their  work,  which,  besides  the  superintendence  of  the  Church's  alms, 
included  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  or  preaching,  as  we  see  from  the 
cases  of  Stephen  and  Philip.  Tlie  Seven  occupied  a  place  of  iiighcr 
importance  than  that  held  ly  the  deacons  of  after  years — a  position,  in 
fact,  as  Chrysostom  says,  peculiar  to  themselves.  Still,  in  this  solemn 
setting  apart  by  the  Apostles  of  an  inferior  order,  we  must  recognise 
the  first  planting  of  that  lower  order  which,  as  the  Church  grew,  gra- 
dually developed,  and,  adapting  itself  to  new  and  altered  conditions, 
before  thirty  years  had  elapsed  was  formally  termed  the  diaconate 
(Acts  21  :  8j.  *As  has  been  already  stated,  these  men  are  nowhere 
expressly  called  deacons  in  the  Acts.  When  referred  to  again  they  are 
called  '  the  Seven.'     The  view  above  given  is  held  by  the  Greek,  Ro- 


70  ACTS  VI.  [G :  4,  5. 

4  ])oint  over  this  business.     But  we  Avill  continue  sted- 

5  fastly  in  prayer,  and  in  the  ministry  of  the  word.  And 
the  saying  pleased  the  whole  multitude  :  and  they  chose 
Stephen,  a  man  full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  Philip,  and  Prochorus,  and  Nicanor,  and  Timon, 
and  Parmenas,  and  Nicolas  a  proselyte  of  Antioch : 

man  CatlioHc  and  Anglican  churches.  In  tlie  excursus  at  the  close  of 
ch.  14  on  Elders,  the  subject  of  tlie  government  of  the  early  Church  is 
discussed  and  the  conclusion  arrived  at  that  bishop  and  elder  (presby- 
ter) are  dilFerent  terms  for  the  same  office,  and  that  in  the  N.  T.  there 
are  not  three  orders  of  the  ministry.  The  office  of  deacon  was  instituted 
to  meet  a  special  want.  We  do  not  hear  of  deacons  again  in  connection 
with  any  of  tlie  churches  in  the  Acts.  There  is  no  express  command 
enjoining  them  upon  the  Chui-cli,  and  whether  there  sliall  be  special 
officers  called  'deacons'  in  churches,  is  a  matter  for  each  church  to 
decide. — Full  of  the  Spirit  and  of  wisdom.  Out  of  the  number 
of  believers,  it  were  no  hard  task  to  pick  out  men  whose  learning  and 
knowledge  equalled  their  zeal  and  fervor.  It  is  a  noticeable  fact  how 
in  these  early  days  the  Apostles,  who  were  unlettered  men,  urged  the 
choice  of  assistants  who  were  men  not  only  of  stainless  character  and 
burning  zeal,»but  who  to  these  qualities  added  a  reputation  for  know- 
ledge and  wisdom. 

*  Ver.  4.  Tlie  ministry  of  the  Word.  The  preaching  of  the 
Gospel.  The  word  ministry  here  is  the  same  as  that  translated  serve 
tables  in  v.  2. 

Ver.  5.  Tii8y  chose  Stephen.  He  soon  won  for  himself  the 
proud  title  of  the  first  Christian  martyr.  He  is  especially  mentioned 
as  '  full  of  faith.'  The  faith  alluded  to  is  that  trust  in  Jesus  as  the 
Redeemer  which  is  the  root  of  all  Christian  virtues ;  for  this  faith,  in 
addition  to  his  other  high  qualities,  Stephen,  even  in  that  age  of  ex- 
alted devotion,  was  conspicuous. — Philip.  Well  known  afterwards  as 
the  'Apostle'  of  Samaria  (Acts  8).  It  was  this  Philip  who  converted 
the  minister  of  the  Ethiopian  Queen  Can  lace ;  he  is  mentioned  again 
as  dwelling  at  Coesarea  Avith  his  four  prophet-daughters  (Acts  21  :  8), 
and  seems  to  have  been  generally  known  as  the  'evangelist.' — Pro- 
chorus,  etc.  These  names  never  occur  again  in  the  N.  T. — Nicolas  a 
proselyte  of  Antioch.  He  was  originally  a  Gentile,  who  submitted 
to  the  rite  of  circumcision.  From  the  special  mention  of  his  being  a 
proselyte,  it  would  seem  that  the  other  six  were  Jews  by  birth.  The 
names  of  all  the  seven  are  Greek ;  but  we  cannot  positively  conclude 
from  this  circumstance  that  they  were  all  Grecian  Jcavs,  for  it  was  not 
unusual  for  a  pure  Hebrew  to  possess  a  Greek  name,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  Apostles  Andrew  and  Philip,  for  instance.  Upon  the  memory  of 
Nicolas  rests  an  unfortunate  tradition,  related  by  Irenteus,  Epiphanius 
and  others,  which  asserts  that  he  was  the  founder  of  the  sect  of  Nicolai- 


G:  G,  7.]  ACTS  VI. 


G  whom  they  set  before  the  apostles  :  and  when  they  had 

prayed,  they  laid  their  hands  on  them. 
7      And  the  word  of  God  increased  ;  and  the  number  of 

the  disciples  multiplied  in  Jerusalem  exceedingly;  and 

a  great  company  of  the  priests  were  obedient  to  the 

faith. 

tanes  mentioned  "with  such  stern  severity  in  Eev.  2:  6,  15.  Perhaps 
Clement  of  Alexandria  gives  the  true  version  of  the  story  wlien  he  says 
that  ^■icolas  himself  was  famous  for  tiie  purity  of  his  conduct,  but  that 
lie  was  the  innocent  cause  of  the  heresy  which  bears  his  name,  which 
arose  from  a  perversion  of  some  words  he  once  uttered  (Eusebius,  11. 
E.  iii.  29). 

Ver.  U,  They  laid  their  hands  on  them.  The  earliest  mention 
of  'laying  on  of  hands'  occurs  in  Gen.  48  :  10.  It  is  there  connected 
with  blessing  only.  It  was  enjoined  on  Moses  as  the  form  of  conferring 
the  highest  office  among  the  chosen  people  upon  Joshua  (Numb.  27  :  18), 
and  'fiom  that  time  was  used  on  such  occasions  by  the  Jews.  By  the 
laying  on  of  hands,  the  special  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  were  imparted 
(Acts  8  :  17),  the  ministerial  office  was  conferred  (1  Tim.  5  :  22;  Heb. 
6  :  2).  Ilackett's  comment  on  this  passage,  which  speaks  of  the  'lay- 
ing on  of  hands,'  is  noteworthy  :  '  It  was  of  the  nature  of  a  prayer  that 
God  would  bestow  the  necessary  gifts,  rather  than  a  pledge  that  they 
were  actually  conferred.' 

Ver.  7.  The  number  of  the  disciples  multiplied  in  Jeru- 
salem exceedingly.  The  measures  taken  by  the  Apostles  seem  to 
have  been  eftectual.  Authoritative  teachers,  trained  in  schools  of  Greek 
as  well  as  of  Hebrew  thought,  now  labored  side  by  side  with  the  Twelve, 
and  thus  prepared  the  way  for  a  f^xr  broader  preaching  of  the  doctrines 
of  Jesus  than  had  ever  yet  been  dreamed  of.  '  At  this  time,'  says  Dean 
Alford,  '  was  probably  the  culminating  point  of  popularity  of  the 
Church  at  Jerusalem,  As  yet  all  seemed  going  on  prosperously  for  the 
conversion  of  Israel.  The  multitude  honored  the  Apostles.  The  ad- 
vice of  Gamaliel  had  moderated  the  opposition  of  the  Sanhedrin  ;  the 
priests  were  gradually  being  won  over.  But  God's  designs  Avere  far 
different.  At  this  period  another  great  element  in  the  testimony  of  the 
Church  is  brought  out  in  the  person  of  Stephen,  its  protest  against 
Pharisaism.  This  arrays  against  it  that  powerful  and  zealous  sect,  and 
henceforwai'd  it  finds  neither  favor  nor  tolerance  with  either  of  the 
parties  among  the  Jews,  but  increasing  and  bitter  enmity  from  them 
both.' 

*  Practical  Notes.— The  first  dispute  in  the  Church  was  uot  about  doctrine  but,  aa 
has  been  said,  about  a  money  matter.  It  is  a  pify  that  the  little  thrinj^s  of  this  world 
should  be  the  make-baits  among  those  who  profess  to  be  taken  up  with  the  great  things 
of  another  world '  (Matthew  Henry).  The  Grecian  Jews  were  justified  in  claiming 
justice  for  themselves,  but  they  shuulJ  have  used  every  means  to  secure  it  without 


72  ACTS  VI.  [6 :  8,  9. 

Chapter  6 :  8-15. 
Stephen's  Activity  and  Arrest 

8  And  Stephen,  full  of  grace  >and  power,  wrought 

9  great  wonders  and  signs  among  the  people.  But  there 
arose  certain  of  them  that  were  of  the  synagogue  called 
the  synagogue  of  the  Libertines,  and  of  the  Cyrenians, 
and  of  the  Alexandrians,  and  of  them  of  Cilicia  and 

promoting  strife.  As  many  Church  difficulties  can  be  healed  by  forbearance  and  a 
spirit  of  kindness  as  are  excited  by  a  spirit  of  jealousy  and  selfishness.— "While  the  dis- 
agreement was  to  some  extent  the  product  of  jealousy,  the  spirit  shown  by  the  Apostles 
in  composing  the  difficulty  was  admirable.  But  the  neglect  of  some  of  the  widows  by 
the  unequal  distribution  of  the  alms,  is  an  illustration  that  the  Apostles  wero  not  in- 
fallible in  conduct.  It  is  not  necessary  to  suppose  that  they  passed  by  any  one  inten- 
tionally, but  only  ignorantly. — Church  ijovernraent  and  administration  must  accommo- 
date themselves  to  circumstances  as  well  as  circumstances  to  them.  There  are  '^liver- 
sities  of  ministrations,'  and  one  local  congregation  may  need  one  kind  and  another 
another  kind.  But  there  is  only  one  Spirit  and  without  him  nothing  for  the  divine 
glory  can  be  accomplished.  Inspired  Apostles  the  Church  has  no  more,  but  '  prayer 
and  the  ministry  of  the  Word '  (ver.  4)  are  indispensable  to  the  growth  of  the  Church. 
The  number  7  is  not  a  fixed  number  for  the  deacons  of  any  church,  but  the  duty  of 
distributing  alms  remains  always  in  force. 

Stephen's  Activity  and  Arrest,  vers.  8-15. 

Ver.  8.  Stephen.  His  fearlessness,  his  splendid  orntory,  his  in- 
tense faith,  the  wonders  and  signs  done  in  the  power  of  this  faith,  soon 
made  liim  in  the  eyes  of  the  Jews  one  of  the  foi'emost  among  the  Naza- 
rene  heretics.  By  his  fearless  denunciation  of  the  emptiness  of  Juda- 
ism as  practised  by  Pharisee  as  well  as  Sadducee,  he  drew  down  on  his 
head  the  bitter  hatred  of  each  of  the  powerful  parties  in  the  state. — 
Full  of  grace.  Its  effects  were  those  divine  powers  which  enabled 
him  to  work  signs  and  wonders. 

Ver.  9.  But  there  arose.  The  teaching  and  work  of  Stephen 
struck  a  new  chord  in  the  heart  of  the  people.  Many  who  had  been 
deaf  before  were  now  constrained  to  listen.  A  new  tide  of  success  ap- 
parently had  commenced  to  flow,  but  the  success  stirred  up  new  ene- 
mies.— Certain  of  them  that  were  of  the  synagogue.  In  the 
great  Jewish  city,  all  shades  of  opinion,  Greek  and  Aramaic  (Hebrew), 
of  course  found  a  home.  The  Rabbinic  writers  tell  us  that  there  were 
in  Jei-usalem  480  synagogues.  This  is  no  doubt  an  exaggeration,  and 
the  number  probably  a  mystic  one ;  still  it  is  certain  that  most  of  the 
great  foreign  colonies  of  Jews,  whose  members,  for  religious  purposes 
or  for  business,  were  constantly  passing  and  repassing  between  their 
distant  homes  and  Jerusalem,  were  represented  by  synagogues  of  their 
own.     The  nations  specially  mentioned  seem  to  represent  the  three 


6:  10,  ll.J  ACTS  VI.  73 

10  Asia^  disputing  with  Stephen.     And  they  were  not 
able  to  withstand  the  wisdom  and  the  Spirit  by  which 

11  he  spake.     Then  they  suborned  men,  which  said,  We 
have  heard  him   speak   blasphemous    words   against 

great-divisions  of  Jews  settled  abroad — Roman,  Grecian,  Asiatic.  The 
Libertine  and  Cyrenian  synagogues  represent  Home  ;  the  Alexandrian, 
Greece;  the  Cilician  and  Asian,  the  East.  With  the  teachers  of  these 
different  schools  of  Jewish  thought,  Stephen  came  in  contact. — The 
Libertines.  Roman  Jews  whose  fathers  were  carried  captive  to  Rome 
by  Pompey  about  53  b.  c.  Many  of  them  had  been  set  free,  whence 
their  name. — Cyroniains.  Cyrene  was  a  great  city  in  North  Africa. 
Josephus  relates  that  one-f<jurth  of  its  inhabitants  were  Jews.  They 
had  originally  been  settled  there  by  Ptolemy  Lagus.  Simon,  who  car- 
ried the  cross  of  Jesus,  was  a  Cyrenian  (Matt.  27  :  32).  Cyrenian  Jews 
were  present  at  the  feast  of  Pentecost  (Acts  2  :  10  ,  and  are  also  men- 
tioned in  Acts  11  ;  20;  13  :  1. — Alexandrians.  Alexandria  was  at 
this  time  the  second  city  of  the  Roman  empire.  It  was  the  seat  of 
Hellenistic  learning  and  culture.  A  special  quarter  was  assigned  to 
the  Jews,  who  were  er/timated  as  numbering  100,000.  Alexander  the 
Great  settled  them  there  as  colonists,  and  gave  them  extraordinary 
privileges.  They  had  a  governor  of  their  own  named  the  Alabarch, 
and  were  ruled  by  their  own  laws. — Of  them  of  Cilicia.  This  pro- 
vince occupied  the  south-eastern  division  of  what  is  now  known  as  Asia 
Minor.  Paul  was  a  native  of  Cilicia,  and  it  is  possible  that  among  the 
teachers  of  the  Cilician  synagogue,  who  argued  with  Stephen,  was  tho 
brilliant  pupil  of  Gamaliel,  the  young  man  Saul. — Asia.  Not  the  con- 
tinent of  Asia,  but  a  province  including  Mysia,  Lydia  and  Caria,  with 
Ephesus  as  the  principal  city. 

Ver.  10.  They  -were  not  able  to  withstand  the  wisdom. 
Stephen  met  the  doctors  of  the  synagogues  on  their  own  ground,  show- 
ing how  marvelously  the  allusions  and  promises  contained  in  the  Law 
and  the  prophets  were  fulfilled  in  Jesus.  They  surrounded  the  Law 
and  the  Temple,  which  were  all  that  remained  to  the  Jew  of  his  ances- 
tral glories,  with  an  unreasoning  devotion  ;  and  when  Stephen  told 
them  that  these  things  were  only  shadows  which  were  even  then 
passing  away,  it  was  an  easy  matter,  by  a  slight  perversion  of  his 
words,  for  the  Jewish  leaders  to  excite  among  the  people  a  storm  of 
patriotic  indignation  against  one  who  dared  to  teach  such  hateful  doc- 
trines. 

Ver.  11.  They  suborned  men,  w^hich  said.  That  is,  they 
secretly  instructed,  having  concerted  together  what  should  be  said. — 
*  Blasphemous  words  against  Moses.  These  words  sufficiently 
indicate  the  contents  of  Stephen's  addresses.  Christ  was  charged 
with  blasphemy  (Mark  2:  7,  etc.),  and  on  this  accusation,  so  far  as 
the  Jews  were  concerned,  was  put  to  death  (Matt.  26 :  G5). 


?4  ACTS  VI.  [G:  12-15. 

12  ]\Ioses,  aud  against  God.  And  they  stirred  up  the 
people,  and  the  elders,  and  the  scribes,  and  came  upon 
him,  and  seized  him,  and  brought  him  into  the  coun- 

13  cil,  and  set  up  false  witnesses,  which  said,  This  man 
ccaseth  not  to  speak  words  against  this  holy  place,  and 

14  the  law :  for  we  have  heard  him  say,  that  this  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  shall  destroy  this  place,  and  shall  change 

15  the  customs  which  Moses  delivered  unto  us.  And  all 
that  sat  in  the  council,  fastening  their  eyes  on  him, 
saw  his  face  as  it  had  been  the  face  of  an  angel. 

Ver.  12.  They  stirred  up  the  people.  It  was  above  all  things 
necessary  for  the  enemies  of  tliese  Nazarenes  to  have  pnblic  opinion 
on  their  side.  PopuLir  favor  on  a  former  occasion  (5:  20)  had  pro- 
tected the  Apostles.  A  similar  change  in  public  opinion  occurred  in 
the  last  week  of  the  Saviour's  lile,  the  people  welcoming  him  one 
day  Avith  llosannas  nnd  the  next  crying  '  Crucify  him ! ' 

Ver.  lo.  And  set  up  false  vyitnesses.  They  perhaps  quoted 
before  the  Sanhcdriu  tlic  veiy  Avords  of  Stephen,  but  took  them  out 
of  their  original  context,  distorted  them  evidently  represented  him  as 
unceasingly  assailing  tlie  Tem[)le  and  tlie  holy  Jewish  rites,  and  held 
him  up  as  a  fanatical  enemy  of  all  that  the  devout  Israelite  looked 
upon  as  holy. 

Ver.  15.  Saw  his  face  as  it  had  been  the  face  of  an  angel. 
No  trouI)led  anxious  expression  met  the  gaze  of  the  council,  but  over 
the  features  of  the  servant  of  Jesus  passed  a  radiance  not  belonging 
to  this  world.  The  expression  points  to  something  more  than  a  mere 
calm  dignity  and  serenity  of  expression  ;  for,  as  Hackett  observes,  '  the 
comparison  is  an  unusual  one,  and  the  Jcavs  supposed  the  visible  ap- 
pearance of  angels  to  correspond  with  their  superhuman  rank  (Acts 
1:  10;  Matt.  28:  3;  Rev.  18:  1).  The  countenance  of  Stephen,  like 
that  of  Moses  on  his  descent  from  the  Mount,  shone  probably  with  a 
preternatural  lustre  proclaiming  him  a  true  witness,  a  servant  of  Him 
whose  glory  was  so  titly  symbolized  by  such  a  token.  Tlie  occasion 
was  worthy  of  tlie  miracle.'  Augustine  beautifully  Avrites  of  the  mar- 
tyr's transfigured  face:  '0  lamb,  foremost  (of  the  flock  of  Christ), 
fighting  in  the  midst  of  Avolves,  following  after  the  Lord,  but  still  nt  a 
distance  from  him,  and  already  the  angel's  friend  !  Yes,  how  clearly 
was  he  the  angel's  friend  who,  while  in  the  very  midst  of  the  wolves, 
still  seemed  like  an  angel ;  for  so  transfigured  was  he  by  the  rays  of 
the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  that  even  to  his  enemies  he  seemed  a  being 
not  of  this  world.' 

*PRA(mPAi.  Notes. — The  second  great  preacher  of  the  Ai>ostolic  Church  was  not 
«n  Apostle.    Stephen,  no  doubt,  Wiis  converted  under  the  preacliing  of  the  Apostles, 


7:  1.]  ACTS  VII.  75 

Chapter  7:1. 

Stephen's  Defence  before  the  Sanhedrin, 

7:  I     And  the  high  priest  said,  Are  these  things  so? 

but  God's  purpose  in  anointing  him  so  abundantly  with  the  gift  of  eloquence,  and 
permitting  him  to  be  the  first  martyr  was  perhups  to  keep  tlio  early  Church  from  too 
great  reverence  for  the  Apostles,  and  teach  us  that  God  is  not  bound  to  any  particular 
order  of  men  to  carry  on  His  work.  The  seven  were  appointid  to  preside  over  thj 
'daily  miuistratiun  '  (ver.  3),  but  they  did  not  confine  themselves  to  that.  Philip,  oiio 
of  their  number,  is  expressly  called  the  Evangelist  in  Acts  21 :  8.  Stephen  was  an 
ardent  representative  of  liberal,  evangelical  views.  lie  did  not  confine  himself  to  the 
preaching  of  the  resurrection,  but  following  the  Lord's  predictions,  declared  fearlessly 
that  the  exclusively  Jewish  rites  were  to  pass  away,  and  the  temple  itself  be  destroyed. 
A  new  dispensation  had  come.  Christ  was  to  be  all  and  in  all,  and  God  was  to  be  wor- 
shipped neither  at  Jerusalem  nor  on  Gerizim  exclusively,  but  everywhere.  If  Paul, 
who  was  of  the  synagogue  '  of  them  of  Cilicia,'  having  been  born  in  Tarsus,  a  city  of 
Cilicia,  heard  Stephen,  this  particular  tone  of  his  speech  must  have  impressed  itself 
deeply  upon  him  who  was  to  be  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles.  Stephen's  angelic  ex- 
pression of  face  was  indicative  of  the  feelings  reigning  within  his  heart.  He  h;id  a 
confident  trust  in  Christ,  felt  it  a  great  joy  to  bo  able  to  elucidate  Gods  plan  of  re- 
deniiitiou,  and  looked  forward  to  the  transcendent  glory  which  would  be  his  when  the 
peisecutiou  had  done  its  utmost  and  satisfied  itself  with  his  blood. 

Stephen's  Defence  before  the  Sanhedrin,  vers.  1-53. 

Stephen  began  his  speech  with  a  grave  and  earnest  defence  of  him- 
self and  his  teaching,  in  the  form  of  an  elaborate  historical  argument, 
and  passed  imperceptibly  into  a  passionate  arraignment  of  his  accusers 
and  judges.  He  representeJ  himself  as  arraigned  not  really  as  a  blas- 
phemer of  the  Holy  Temple  and  the  sacred  Law,  but  as  suffering  the 
same  persecution  at  their  hands  which  the  prophets  and  another  still 
greater  had  endured  from  their  stiff-necked  forefathers.  He  com- 
mence! this  defence  with  great  calm  and  dignity,  choosing  as  his 
theme  a  subject  which  he  knew  would  command  the  attention  and  win 
the  deep  interest  of  his  audience.  It  was  the  story  of  the  cho-en 
people,  told  with  the  warm  bright  eloquence  of  one  not  only  himself 
an  ardent  patriot,  but  also  a  trained  orator  and  scholar.  He  dwelt  on 
the  famous  national  heroes,  with  rare  skill  bringing  out  particular 
events  in  their  lives,  and  showing  how,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
they  had  been  sent  by  Go  I,  they  had  been  again  and  again  rejected  by 
the  chosen  people.  Of  those  Old  Testament  characters  he  mentions 
especially  two,  .Joseph  and  Moses,  as  illustrating  his  point.  The  for- 
mer hid  been  rejected  by  his  brethren,  and  the  latter  the  people  had 
agiin  and  again  refused  to  obey.  Having  finished  this  part  of  his 
a  hirers,  and,  after  glancing  for  a  moment  at  the  accusation  which 
charj;el  him  with  lightly  esteeming  the  Temple,  he  aiain  turns  to  the 
treatment  his  forefathers  had  showed  to  the  prophets,  and  in  a  tiame 


76  ACTS  VII.  [7:2. 

Chapter  7  :  2-16. 

Tlie  Patriarchs  Abraham  and  Joseph, 

2  And  he  said, 

Brethren  and  fathers,  hearken.     The  God  of  glory 
appeared  unto  our  father  Abraham,  when  he  was  in 

of  righteous  angci*  he  accuses  his  accusers  of  following  their  example, 
by  being  themselves  murderers  of  Jesus.  But  here  he  is  violently 
interrupted,  and  hurried  to  the  last,  scene  without  the  walls.  There 
is  little  doubt  but  that  the  close  of  Stephen's  defence  would  have  con- 
tained, like  tlie  sermons  of  Peter  in  the  second  and  third  chapters  of 
this  book,  the  oiler  of  pardon  and  reconciliation  through  the  very 
blood  they  had  caused  to  be  poured  out.  As  before  in  the  case  of  Joseph, 
and  still  more  conspicuously  in  the  case  of  IMoses,  God  had  in  spite  of 
themselves  redeemed  them ;  so  He  would  again,  even  now,  after  their 
deepest  crime,  if  they  would  but  turn  to  Him,  and  seek  through  the 
Crucified  pardon  and  life.  But  this  last  thought  the  martyr  was  not 
allowed  to  utter.  The  great  speech  of  Stephen  dilFers  from  the  ad- 
dresses of  Peter  in  its  broad,  all-embracing  view  of  the  history  of  the 
chosen  people.  What  a  magnificent  conception,  in  the  eyes  of  a  child 
of  Israel,  Avere  those  instances  of  the  life-work  of  Joseph' and  IMoses, 
both  God-sent  regenei'ators  of  the  loved  people,  both  in  their  turn, 
too,  rejected  and  misunderstood  by  those  with  whom  their  mission  Iny, 
but  justified  and  glorified  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  history,  which 
has  surrounded  the  men  and  their  work  with  a  halo  of  glory,  growing 
only  brighter  as  the  centuries  have  multiplied  !  Might  it  not  be  the 
same  with  that  great  One  who  had  done  such  mighty  works,  and  spoken 
such  glorious  words,  but  whom  they  had  rejected  and  crucified? 

Ver.  1.  And  the  high  priest  said,  Are  these  things  so? 
A  hush  seems  to  have  fallen  on  the  council  as  they  saw  the  strange 
brightness  light  up  the  countenance  of  the  accused.  The  question 
calls  upon  Stephen  to  answer  to  the  accusation  of  having  uttered  blas- 
phemous words  against  Moses  and  God. 

The  Patriarchs  Abraham  and  Joseph,  vers.  2-lG. 

Ver.  2.  The  God  of  glory  appeared  unto  our  father  Abra- 
ham. A  peculiar  characteristic  of  God  in  the  eyes  of  the  Hebrews 
was  that  shining  brightness,  that  outward  expression  of  mnjesty  iii 
which  He  revealed  Himself,  and  which  was  visible  in  the  Shechinuh. 
Paul  speaks  of  this  glory  as  one  of  the  peculiar  distinctions  with 
which  God  honored  His  own  peculiar  people.  It  is  represented  as 
liaving  abode  on  Mount  Sinai  (Ex.  24:  1(5),  as  filling  tlie  tabernacle 
(Ex.  4(J :  34),  etc.  Christ  possessed  the  divine  glory  (John  1  :  14). 
and  was  the  "effulgence  of  God's  glory"  (Heb.  1:8).  It  was  the 
external  manifestation  of  the  divine  holiness.     The  expression  shows 


7:  3-8.]  ACTS  VII.  77 

3  Mesopotamia,  before  lie  dwelt  in  Plaran,  and  said  nnto 
him,  Get  thee  out  of  thy  land,  and  from  thy  kindred, 
and   come   into   the  land  which   I  shall  shew  thee. 

4  Then  came  he  out  of  the  land  of  the  Chaldaeans,  and 
dwelt  in  Haran:  and  from  thence,  when  his  father 
was  dead,  God  removed  him  into  this  land,  wherein 

5  ye  now  d^vell :  and  he  gave  him  none  inheritance  in  it, 
no,  not  so  much  as  to  set  his  foot  on :  and  he  promised 
that  he  would  give  it  to  him  in  2:)ossession,  and  to  his 

6  seed  after  him,  when  as  yd  he  had  no  child,  xind 
God  spake  on  this  wise,  that  his  seed  should  sojourn 
in  a  strange  land,  and  that  they  should  bring  them 
into  bondage,  and  entreat  them  evil,  four   hundred 

7  years.  And  the  nation  to  which  they  shall  be  in  bon- 
dage will  I  judge,  said  God  :  and  after  that  shall  they 

S  come  forth,  and  serve  me  in  this  place.  And  he  gave 
him  the  covenant  of  circumcision :   and  so  Abraham 

a  profound  reverence  for  the  God  of  Israel,  vritli  wliich  tlie  charge  of 
blasphemy  was  inconsistent.  "When  he  "was  iu  Mesopotamia. 
Ur  of  Ihc  Chaldees,  where  Abraham  first  resided  (Gen.  11:  28),  lay 
])robably  iu  the  extreme  north  of  Mesopotamia,  near  the  sources  of 
the  Tigris. 

Ver.  4.  "When  his  father  \7as  dead.  For  remarks  upon  this 
and  the  other  alleged  inaccuracies  in  the  speech  of  Stephen,  see  the 
Excursus  below. 

Ver.  5.  And  he  gave  him  none  inheritance  in  it.  This  is 
confii-med  by  the  circumstance  related  in  ver.  IG,  where  Ave  read  how 
the  very  grave  of  the  patriarchs  iu  the  Promised  Laud  was  purchased 
by  Abraham  from  the  possessors  of  the  country. 

Ver.  G.  And  God  spake  on  this  wise.  Stephen  quotes,  with 
a  very  slight  variation,  from  the  Septuagiut  translation  of  Gen.  15: 
14,  15,  the  vei-y  words  spoken  by  God  to  Abraham,  containing  the 
promise,  and  also  an  intimation  that  its  fulfilment  must  not  be  ex- 
pected for  a  long  period  of  years. 

Ver.  7.  And  serve  me  in  this  place.  A  quotation  from  the 
words  spoken  to  Moses  in  the  burning  bush  where  the  reference  is  not 
to  Canaan  but  to  Iloreb  (Ex.  3:  12).  He  thus  reminds  the  elders  of 
Israel  that  God  was  to  be  found  in  other  countries  besides  the  Holy 
Land,  and  to  be  worshipped  in  other  places  besides  Zion.  Did  He  not 
manifest  Himself  as  visibly  in  the  burning  bush  of  the  wilderness  as 
ever  He  did  in  the  tabernacle  ? 

Ver.  8.     He  gave  him  the  covenant  of  circumcision.    That 


78  ACTS  VII.  [7 :  9-12. 

begat  Isaac,  and  circumcised  bim  tbe  eigbtb  day ;  aud 

Isaac  hcgat  Jacob,  aud  Jacob  tbe  twelve  patriarcbs. 

9  And    tbe    patriarcbs,    moved   witb    jealousy   agaiust 

Joscpb,  sold  bim  into  Egypt :  aud  God  was  witb  bim, 

10  and  delivered  bim  out  of  all  bis  afflictions,  and  gave 
bim  iavour  and  wisdom  before  Pbaraob  king  of 
Egypt ;  aud  be  made  bim  governor  over  Egypt  and 

11  all  ids  bouse.  K^ow  tberc  came  a  famine  over  all 
Egypt   and    Canaan,   and   great   affliction :    and   our 

12  fatbcrs  found  no  sustenance.  But  wdien  Jacob  beard 
tbat  tbere  was  corn  in  Egypt,  be  sent  fortb  our  fatbers 

is,  God  made  with  him  the  covenant,  of  which  circumcision  was  the 
outward  sign.  Dean  Goulburn,  in  liis  Acts  of  the  Deacons,  calls  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  the  whole  of  the  Pauline  theology  finds  its  germs  in 
this  defence  of  Stephen.  Paul's  assertion  that  faith  was  reckoned  to 
Abraham  when  he  was  in  uncircunicision,  is  merely  the  unfolding  of 
Stephen's  historical  statement  that  God,  after  the  call  aud  promise, 
gave  Abraham  the  covenant  of  circumcision. 

Vcr.  9.  The  patriarchs,  moved  with  jealousy  against 
Joseph.  Stephen  here  passes  to  tbe  times  of  Joseph,  who,  as  minister 
of  I'baraoh,  inaugurated  Avhat  may  be  termed  the  second  period  in  the 
history  of  tlie  children  of  Israel.  lie  dwells  on  the  betrayal  of  Joseph 
(Gen.  37  :  28)  by  his  jealous  brothers,  Avho  received  the  t\i\Q patriarchs 
from  being  the  ancestors  of  the  twelve  tribes,  and  then  shows  how  God 
delivered  him  and  raised  bim  to  a  position  of  great  power,  which  ena- 
bled him  to  be  the  benclactor  of  Lis  father's  family.  It  is  altogetber 
probable  that  Stephen  had  in  his  mind  the  parallel  between  Joseph  and 
Another,  who  had  been  likewise  for  jealousy  (Matt.  27  :  18)  betrayed 
by  his  brother  Jews,  and  who,  after  the  betrayal,  had  been  crowned 
with  glory  and  power. 

Ver.  10.  And  wisdom.  This,  of  course,  includes  Joseph's  inter- 
pretation of  the  royal  dreams  (Gen.  41  :  1-37),  but  has  more  especial 
reference  to  his  skill  in  administering  and  developing  the  finances  of 
the  kingdom  of  Egypt.  Pharaoh  had  said  to  Joseph,  '  There  is  none  so 
discreerand  wise  as  thou  art'  (Gen.  41  :  39). — Pharaoh.  This  was 
the  common  title  of  the  ancient  sovereigns  of  Egypt,  and  signified  '  the 
kin"-.'  We  have  a  similar  use  of  a  royal  appellative  in  the  '  Caesars'  of 
Piome,  a  designation  which  is  still  preserved  in  the  German  'Kaiser' 
and  in  the  Russian  '  Czar.' 

Ver.  12.  There  w^as  corn  in  Egypt.  Egypt  was  the  great  corn- 
growing  country  of  the  old  world.  In  the  Apostles'  time  it  was  the 
principal  granary  of  Home  (see  Acts  27  :  G-38j. 


7:  13,  14.]       '  ACTS  VII.  79 

13  the  first  time.     And  at  the  second  time  Joseph  was 
made  known  to  his  brethren;  and  Joseph's  race  be- 

14  came  manifest  unto  Pliaraoh.     And  Joseph  sent,  and 
called  to  him  Jacob  his  father,  and  all  his  kindred, 

Ver.  13.     Joseph's  race  became  manifest  unto  Pharaoh. 

The  name  of  Joseph  is  repeated  "with  some  pride  by  Stephen.  ^  There 
seems  to  be  the  suggested  thought  that  as  those  who,  in  the  history  of 
Joseph,  persecuted  liim  came  alterwards  to  be  dependent  on  his  bounty, 
so  it  might  be  that  tliose  who  rejected  Christ  would  at  last  be  dependent 
on  him  for  spiritual  life  (Plumptre). 

Vei\  14.  Jacob  his  father,  and  all  his  kindred,  three- 
score and  fifteen  souls.  Another  memory  of  the  divine  favor 
which  would  be  very  grateful  to  the  zealous  judges  in  that  stern  council. 
How  God  must  have  loved  the  people  and  prospered  them  !  for  this 
small  family  became  *as  the  stars  of  heaven  for  multitude'  (Deut. 
10  :  22). 

EXCX'RSUS   ON   CERTAIN    ALLEGED    DISCREPANCIES   IN   StEPHEN's    SpEECH.— Some    feW 

Btatements  occur  in  this  part  of  Stephen's  speech  which  appear  to  vary  from  the  ac- 
counts of  the  Old  Testament.  The  best  general  explanation  of  them  is,  that  in  these 
cases  the  speaker  followed  the  popularly-received  national  history  of  his  time.  In 
several  of  the  instances  the  contemporary  writers,  Philo  and  Josephus,  when  relating 
the  same  event,  make  the  same  apparent  mistake  as  Stephen,  clearly  showing  that  at 
that  time  there  was  a  popular  account,  written  or  umvritten,  of  the  history  of  Israel, 
difiering  apparently  in  a  few  unimportant  details  from  the  Old  Testament  story.  We 
proceed  now  to  a  discussion  in  detail  of  these  alleged  discrepancies.  Vers.  2,  3.  The 
God  of  glory  appeared  vnto  our  father  Abraham,  when  he  was  in  Mesopotamia, 

BEFORE  he  dwelt  IN  HaRAN,  A>D  SAID  UN^O  HIM,  GeT  THEE  OUT  OF  THY  LAND.  Accord- 
ing to  Gen.  11 :  31 ;  12  :  1,  the  call  of  Abraham  took  place  after  he  had  arrived  in  Ilaran, 
and  not  before,  as  Stephen  states.  There  is  little  doubt,  however,  that  Abraham  was  twice 
called  by  the  Lord,  once  in  Mesopotamia,  and  afterwards  in  Haran,  as  is  indicated  by 
the  words  in  Gan.  15:  7;  Xeh.  9:  7;  'I  am  the  Lord  that  brought  thee  out  of  Ur,' 
etc.  Philo  distinctly  speaks  of  these  two  calls.  In  ver.  4  it  is  said  that  Abraham  did 
not  leave  Haran  till  his  father  was  dead.  This  statement  has  been  represented  as 
inconsistent  with  the  account  in  Genesis,  according  to  which  Terah  would  seem  to 
have  lived  sixty  years  after  Abraham's  departure  from  Haran.  There  Terah's  death 
is  put  down  as  having  occurred  when  he  v.as  two  hundred  and  five  years  old  (Gen. 
11:  32).  But  in  Gen.  11  :  2G  we  read  '  Terah  lived  seventy  years,  and  begat  Abraham, 
Nahor  and  Haran ;'  and  in  Gen.  12 :  4,  that  Abraham  came  forth  from  Ilaran  when 
seventy-five  years  old.  By  counting  up,  an  interval  of  sixty  years  will  be  found  to 
exist  after  Abraham's  departure  before  Terah's  death.  But  the  apparent  difiiculty 
admits  of  a  ready  solution  if  we  adopt  the  theory  held  by  some  Jewish  writers,  that 
Abraham  was  not  the  eldest,  but  the  youngest  son  of  Terah  :  the  position  Abraham 
occupied  in  the  history  of  the  chosen  people  readily  accounting  for  his  being  the  first 
named.  Similarly  Shem,  who  wa.s  younger  than  Japheth  (Gen.  10:  21),  is  mentioned 
before  him  in  the  list  of  Noah's  sons  (Gen.  10  :  1,  etc.).    Some  such  difference  between 


80  ACTS  VII.  [7:  15,  16. 

15  threescore  and  fifteen  souls.     And  Jacob  went  down 
into  Egypt;  and  lie  died,  himself,  and  our   fathers; 

16  and  they  were  carried  over  unto  Shechem,  and  laid  in 
the  tomb  that  Abraham  bought  for  a  price  in  silver 

the  ages  of  Nahor  and  Abraham  (the  latter  being  much  the  younger)  agrees  well  with 
the  marriage  between  Abraham's  son,  Isaac,  with  Nahor's  grand-daughter  Rebecca, 
who  was  the  daughter  of  Bethuel,  Kahor's  eighth  son  (Gen.  22 :  23). 

In  ver.  6  it  is  stated  that  Israel  was  in  Egypt  four  hundred  tears,  the  same  number 
that  is  given  in  Gen.  15 :  13.  The  exact  number  of  years  was  four  hundred  and  thirty 
(Ex.  12:  40).  But  Paul,  in  Gal.  3  :  17,  understands  the  four  hundred  and  thirty  years 
as  the  measure  of  the  whole  interval  between  the  ciill  of  Abraham  and  the  giving  of 
the  Law,  leaving  only  two  hundred  and  fifieen  years  for  the  bondage  in  Egypt. 

On  examining  Stephen's  statement  and  Ex.  12  :  40,  it  will  be  seen  that  this  period 
of  four  hundred  years  is  roughly  given  as  the  time  during  which  the  childien  of 
Israel  were  to  continue  sojourners  or  strangers  in  the  land  in  which  they  might  be 
dwelling;  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  Stephen  meant  to  represent  the  Egyptian  bon- 
dage as  itself  lasting  four  hundred  years.  Josephus  in  one  place  {Ant.  ii.  9.  1),  dis- 
tinctly states  that  the  Israelites  spent  four  hundred  years  in  Egypt,  and  in  another  ho 
follows  the  chronology  of  Paul  in  the  Galatian  Epistle  {Ant.  ii.  1.5,  2).  It  would  seem 
therefore, that  there  weve  two  traditions  current  in  the  Jewish  schools  relative  to  the 
time  spent  by  Israel  in  Egypt.  In  ver.  14  the  number  of  Joseph's  kindred  is  stated  as 
'three-score  and  fifteen  souls.'  According  to  the  Hebrew  text  of  Gen.  46  :  27  ;  Ex.  1  : 
5  •  Deut.  10  :  22,  the  number  who  went  to  Egypt  was  only  seventy.  Stephen  here  evi- 
dently followed  the  Greek  translation  of  the  LXX,  which  enumerates  seventy-five 
persons.  Gen.  46 :  27  contains  the  interpolation:  'And  the  sons  of  Joseph  born  to 
him  in  the  land  of  Egypt  were  nine  souls.'  There  is  no  sufficient  reason  for  regarding 
the  latter  statement  as  an  error.  It  in  no  way  contradicts  the  numbers  given  in  the 
Hebrew  text,  but  simply  adds  to  them  certain  members  of  Joseph's  family  not  reckoned 
in  the  original  census.  The  additional  five  were  probably  Joseph's  five  descendants  by 
his  two  sons  Manasseh  and  Ephra'm  (Numb.  26  :  28-37). 

Vers.  15,  16.  Jacob  went  down  into  Egypt  ;  and  he  died,  himself,  and  our 
fathers;  and  they  were  carried  over  unto  Shechem,  and  laid  in  the  tomb,  etc. 
Joseph  was  buried  in  Shechem  (Josh.  24:  32).  But  according  to  Gen.  50 :  13  Jacob  was 
buried  at  Machpelah.  However,  the  words  'and  they'  do  not  necessarily  include 
Jacob.  Jerome  (t  420),  who  lived  near  Shechem,  says  that  the  tombs  of  the  twelve 
patriarchs  were  to  be  seen  there  in  his  time.  This  burial  of  the  ancestors  of  the  tribes 
of  Israel  in  hated  Samarian  Shechem  was  mentioned  by  Stephen,  to  show  that  holiness 
and  blessedness  are  not  limited  in  death  and  burial  to  any  particular  spot.  The  suc- 
ceeding words  present  more  difficulty.— In  the  tomb  that  Abraham  bought  for  a 
PRICE  IN  silver  of  THE  SONS  OF  Hamor  IN  Shechem.  Somo  commentators  have  sup- 
posed, but  needlessly,  that  in  haste  or  inadvertence  Stephen  has  here  substituted  the 
name  of  Abraham  for  that  of  Jacob,  for  in  Gen.  33 :  19  we  read  that  Jacob  bought  a 
piece  of  ground  from  the  sons  of  Hamor.  The  question  really  is,  Did  Abraham  buy  a 
piece  of  land  at  Shechem  ?  Dirccfhj  this  is  not  stated  in  Genesis,  but  we  find  from  Gen. 
12-7  that  he  built  an  altar  there,  and  '  the  Canaanite  was  then  in  the  land.'  Now  it 
U  certainly' more  than  probable  that  Abraham  purchased  the  site  on  which  he  erected 


7:  17.]  ACTS  VII.  81 

Chapter  7:  17-30. 

Early  History  of  Moses. 
17  of  the  sons  of  ^  Hamor  in  Shecliem.     But  as  the  time 

1  Gr.  Emmor. 

the  altar,  just  as,  at  a  later  period,  Jacob  erected  an  altar  also  in  Shechem.  and  bought 
the  site  (Gen.  33 :  19).  Wordsworth,  whose  argument  generally  is  here  fullowed,  bup- 
poses  that  the  field  purchased  by  Jacob  was  the  same  that  Abraham  had  acquired,  and 
that  in  the  intervening  years  it  had  bepn  occupied  by  others,  and  Jacob  from  a  fe-ling 
of  piety  wished  to  restore  it.  Stephen's  assertion  contradicts  no  previous  statement, 
but  gives  an  addition.tl  fact,  in  itself  by  no  means  improbable.  The  fact  that  in  both 
cases  the  purchase  was  made  from  the  sons  of  Hamor  offers  no  serious  difiBculty,  and 
indeed  some  five  hundred  year.^  later  we  find  (Judg.  9 :  28)  the  same  name,  and  again 
connected  with  Shechem.  Wordsworth  believes  the  name  Hamor  to  have  been  the 
hereditary  title  of  the  kings  of  the  country,  as  Pharaoh  was  in  Egypt,  but  apart  from 
such  a  hypothesis,  which  is  doubtful,  how  commonly  in  royal  dynasties  does  the  same 
name  recur !  We  need  only  instance  in  old  d  lys  Darius  in  Persia,  Herod  in  Palestine, 
and  ill  modern  times,  Henry  and  George  in  England.  *It  is  difficult,  as  Dr.  Hackott 
says,  to  resist  the  conclusion  that  in  this  last  instance  the  namo  Abraham  was  by  mis- 
take used  instead  of  Jacob  by  Stephen  himself,  or  that  the  error  was  made  by  Luke. 
The  above  explanation  rescues  the  narrative  from  this  charge,  but  it  lays  so  many  conjee- 
tures  under  tribute  as  to  make  the  contrary  view  seem  the  more  probable,  as  it  is  the 
more  natural.  The  explanation  of  the  few  discrepancies  (real  or  apparent)  in  Stephen's 
speech  has  an  important  bearing  on  the  doctrine  of  Inspiration.  Some  expositors  have 
seemed  to  magnify  the  dissent  of  Stephen  from  the  statements  in  the  Old  Testam-nt  J 
others,  in  their  anxiety  to  deny  all  dissent,  have  often  resorted  to  violent  conjectures. 
The  note  of  Dr.  Plumptre  here  is  excellent.  '  Should  there  be  errors  of  transcription, 
report  or  even  memory  in  the  report  of  Stephen's  speech,  they  need  not  shake  the  fixith 
of  those  who  have  learned  to  take  a  higher  view  of  inspiration  than  that  which  depends 
upon  the  registers  of  chronological  tables  and  genealogies.  But  it  may  be  well  also 
not  to  assume  too  hastily  that  men  of  average  culture  and  information  would  be 
altogether  ignorant  of  the  facts  which  they  narrate  out  of  sacred  writings  which  have 
been  their  continual  study.  And  it  may  be  urged  that  the  appearance  of  seeming 
inaccuracies,  which  a  moment's  reference  to  Genesis  would  have  enabled  the  writer  to 
correct,  is,  at  any  rate,  evidence  of  faithfulness  in  the  report  of  the  speech.'  (See  art. 
Inspiration  in  Schaff-Herzog's  Enojclopseiia.) 

Early  History  of  Moses,  vers.  17-30, 

Stephen  passes  from  Joseph  to  Moses  and  takes  up  '  the  promise,* 
now  centuries  old.  Nothing;  apparently  seemed  less  likely  than  that 
the  vast  horde  of  enslaved,  dispirited  children  of  Israel  in  Egypt,  would 
in  a  few  years,  after  the  revelation  of  Moses,  be  in  possession  of  the 
rich  and  desired  land  of  Canaan,  which  was  then  held  by  a  polished 
and  warlike  people.  But  with  the  appointed  hour,  the  God  of  Israel 
raised  up  the  man  wlio  should  work  this  mighty  deliverance  for  His 
people.  He  likewise  dwells  upon  the  wrongs  and  injustice  which  the 
6 


82  ACTS  VII.  [7:  18-21. 

of  the  promise  drew  nigh,  which  God  vouchsafed  unto 
Abraham,  the  people  grew  and  multiplied  in  Egypt, 

18  till  tliere  arose  another  king  over  P^gypt,  which  knew 

19  not  Joseph.  The  same  dealt  subtilly  with  our  race, 
and  evil  entreated  our  fathers,  that  Hhey  should  cast 

20  out  their  babes  to  the  end  they  might  not  ^live.  At 
which  season  Moses  was  born,  and  was  ^exceeding 
fair;    and   he    was    nourished   three   months    in    his 

21  father's  house:  and  when  he  was  cast  out,  Pharaoh's 
daughter  took  him  up,  and  nourished  him  for  her  own 

1  Or,  he.  2Gr.  he  preserved  alive.  3  Or,/(.iV  inUo  God. 

great,  patriot  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  Jews,  his  fellow-countryinen 
and  kinsmen ;  yet  it  was  this  very  Moses,  whom  God  sent  to  be,  not 
only  their  deliverer,  but  their  lawgiver. 

Ver.  17.  The  people  grew  and  multiplied.  This  increase 
was  so  rapid  as  to  excite  the  fear  of  a  rebellion  in  the  minds  of  the 
Egyptians  (Ex.  1  :  7,  12). 

Ver.  18.  Till  there  arose  another  king  over  Egypt.  This 
was  Aniasis  or  Ahmes.  It  is  probable  that  he  was  the  tirst  native 
prince  Avho  reigned  after  the  expulsion  of  the  Hyksos  or  shepherd 
kings.  The  expulsion  of  these  Ilyksos  seems  connected  in  some  way 
with  the  bitter  hatred  with  which  the  Hebrews  were  now  rcgar  le  I  in 
the  land  ;  but  our  knowledge  of  the  history  of  ancient  Egypt  is  too  un- 
certain to  admit  of  any  positive  statement  here. —  "•■'Which  knew 
not  Joseph.     That  is,  did  not  respect  or  cai'e  for  h?s  memory. 

Ver.  19.  That  they  should  cast  out  their  babes  to  the 
end  they  might  not  live.  Ilackett  says:  'The  ol))cct  of  the 
king's  policy  was  to  compel  the  JTebrews  to  destroy  their  children,  that 
they  might  not  grow  up  to  experience  the  wretched  fate  of  their 
fathers'  (so  also  Meyer).  But  this  construction  of  the  passage  in 
Greek  is  grammatically  unnecessary.  The  verse  simply  tells  us  tliat 
Pharaoh,  witli  the  hope  of  checking  the  increase,  gave  a  general  com- 
mand to  destroy  the  new-l)orn  sons  of  the  Israelites. 

Ver.  20.  Moses  was  born,  and  was  exceeding  fair.  Tra- 
dition writes  of  him  as  '  being  beautiful  as  an  angel.'  .losephus  an>l 
riiilo  both  call  especial  attention  to  this  circumstance.  The  rendering 
in  the  margin  '  f  lir  unto  God'  is  literal.  The  Greek  translation  (LXX) 
of  .Jonali,  3:  2,  calls  Nineveli  a  city  'great  unto  God,'  *  an  exceeding 
great  city'  ('that  great  city,'  Autliorized  Version), 

Ver.  21.  Pharaoh's  daughter  took  him  up.  That  is  lifted 
him  up  out  of  the  Nile  (Ex.  2:  5).  This  is  better  than  to  understand 
the  words,  as  do  De  Wette  and  Ilackett,  in  the  sense  of  '  adopted.' 
'Jhe  next  sentence  '  and  nourislied  him  for  her  own  son,'  goes  on  with 
the  infant's  subsequent  adoption  by  the  princess. 


7 :  22-24.]  ACTS  VII.  83 

22  son.     And  Moses  was  instructed  in  all  the  wisdom  of 
the  Egyptians ;  and  he  Avas  mighty  in  his  ^vords  and 

23  works.     But  when  he  was  well-nigh  forty  years  old, 
it  came  into  his  heart  to  visit  his  brethren  the  children 

24  of  Israel.     And  seeing  one  of  them  suffer  wrong,  he 

Ver.  22.  Moses  was  instructed  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the 
Egyptians.  Egypt  was  even  at  that  early  period  famed  for  her 
learning,  and  her  proficiency  in  art  and  science.  It  is  reasonable  to 
Buppose  that  'the  adopted'  of  Pharaoh's  daughter  was  instructed  ia 
all  the  varied  branches  of  learning  cultivated  in  the  country.  Philo 
relates  that  he  was  taught  by  Grecian,  Assyrian  and  Chaldean  teach- 
ers. The  statement  of  Stephen  respecting  the  learning  of  Moses  is 
not  derived  from  any  Old  Testament  source,  but  solely  from  those 
Jewish  traditions  we  have  so  often  alluded  to  as  used  in  this  speech. 
Wordsworth  quotes  here  the  words  of  Augustine  on  this  passage,  in 
which  he  argues  for  the  consecration  of  heathen  learning  to  the  ser- 
vice of  Christianity.  '  Do  not  we  see,'  he  writes,  '  how  Cyprian  came 
laden  out  of  Egypt  with  much  gold  and  silver  and  raiment — Cyprian, 
that  most  persuasive  of  teachers,  that  most  blessed  martyr ;  how,  too, 
similarly  laden,  came  out  Lactantius,  Victorinus,  Optatus,  Hilary, 
not  to  speak  of  living  men?'  Augustine  thus  shows  how  highly  he 
estimated  Avhat  is  termed  secular  learning  in  the  training  of  the  teach- 
ers of  the  Gospel,  Everything  that  is  good  and  beautiful  in  the  arts, 
or  true  and  useful  in  learning,  should  be  consecrated  to  the  service  of 
religion,  and  be  fostered  by  it. — Mighty  in  his  -words.  By  nature 
Moses  seems  to  have  been  'slow  of  speech'  (Ex,  4:  10).  lie  was 
evidently  distrustful  of  his  own  powers,  and  shrank  from  the  burden 
of  responsibility,  but  God  turned  this  slowness  of  speech  into  a  fervid 
eloquence,  of  which  we  possess  many  instances. — And  ■works.  The 
Old  Testament  is  silent  here,  but  Josephus  mentions  that  'when  the 
Ethiopians  invaded  Egypt,  Moses  was  the  general  of  the  army  which 
defeated  them,'      {Anl  ii.  10.  1). 

Ver.  23.  "When  he  was  well-nigh  forty  years  old.  Stephen 
divides  the  life  of  ■Moses  into  three  exact  periods,  each  of  forty  years 
(v,  30,  36).  This  division,  afterwards  current  among  the  Jews,  is  not 
found  in  the  Old  Testament.  It  simply  states  that  ho  was  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years  old  when  he  died  (Deut.  34:  7),  and  was  eighty 
years  old  when  he  stood  before  Pharaoh  (Ex.  7  :  7).  But  it  gives  no 
hint  of  the  time  that  he  spent  in  Egypt  before  his  flight  to  Midian. — 
It  came  into  his  heart  to  visit  his  brethren.  They  Avere  toil- 
ing as  slaves  under  taskmasters,  building  cities  and  fortresses — pro- 
bably, too,  some  of  those  pyramids  we  know  so  well.  The  incident 
which  follows  is  told  almost  word  for  word,  though  slightly  abbrevi- 
ated from  the  Exodus  history. 

Ver.  24.  Suffer  wrong.  That  is,  injured  by  blows,  as  in  Ex. 
2:  11. 


84  ACTS  VII.  [7 :  25-30. 

defended  him,  and  avenged  him  that  was  oppressed, 

25  smiting  the  Egyptian :  and  he  supposed  that  his 
brethren  understood  how  that  God  by  his  hand  was 
giving  them  kleliverance ;  but  they  understood  not. 

26  And  the  day  following  he  appeared  unto  them  as  they 
strove,  and  would  have  set  them  at  one  again,  saying. 
Sirs,  ye  are  brethren ;  Avhy  do  ye  wrong  one  to  an- 

27  other  ?  But  he  that  did  his  neighbour  wrong  thrust 
him  away,  saying.  Who  made  thee  a  ruler  and  a  judge 

28  over  us  ?    Wouldest  thou  kill  me,  as  thou  killedst  the 

29  Egyptian  yesterday  ?  And  Closes  fled  at  this  saying, 
and  became  a  sojourner  in  the  land  of  Midiau,  where 
he  begat  two  sons. 

Chapter  7:  30-43. 
The  Mission  and  Treatment  of  Moses. 

30  And  when  forty  years  were  fulfilled,  an  angel  ap- 

1  Or,  salvation. 

*Ver.  25.     He   supposed   that   his   brethren   understood. 

"What  reason  they  should  have  for  regarding  Moses  as  their  deliverer 
is  not  stated.  But  it  is  likely  that  he  had  given  evidence  of  his  fel- 
low-feeling with  his  oppressed  race  before.  Perhaps  there  was  some- 
thing in  his  very  position  at  court  which  should  have  reminded  them 
of  Joseph,  and  convinced  them  of  a  providential  design  in  Moses'  life. 

Ver.  27.  Who  made  thee  a  ruler  and  a  judge  over  us? 
The  words  of  these  Israelites  evidently  express  the  general  feelings  of 
all  the  people  towards  Moses  at  this  juncture,  and  so  he  understood  them. 

Vers.  28,  29.  And  Moses  fled  at  this  saying.  In  Exodus  it 
is  related  that  Moses  fled  from  the  face  of  Pharaoh  (Ex.  2:  15). 
When  the  act  was  publicly  known,  the  Pharaoh's  court  was,  of  course, 
no  longer  a  home  for  the  patriot  who  loved  his  own  oppressed  people 
better  than  the  splendid  future  of  an  Egyptian  prince  (Heb.  11  :  25, 
26). — In  the  land  of  Midiaa.  It  was  a  part  of  Arabia  Petraea, 
and  lay  along  the  eastern  branch  of  the  Red  Sea,  the  Elanitic  Gulf. 
It  reached  to  the  wilderness  of  Sinai  on  one  side,  and  the  territory  of 
Moab  on  the  other.  The  Midianit.es  seem  to  have  been  nomads. 
The  Mission  and  Treatment  of  Moses,  vers.  30-43. 

Ver.  30.  In  the  wilderness  of  mount  Sinai.  According  to 
Ex.  3:  1,  the  flaming  fire  in  the  bush  appeared  to  Moses  at  Iloreb, 
In  the  Pentateuch,  the  names  of  Sinai  and  Horeb  seem  to  be  used  in- 
discriminately. In  the  New  Testament  the  name  Sinai  only  occurs. 
Horeb  appears  to  be  the  general  name  for  the  whole  mountain  range; 


7:  31-35.]  ACTS  VII.  85 

peared  to  him  in  the  wilderness  of  monnt  Sinai,  in 

31  a  flame  of  fire  in  a  bush.  And  when  iMoses  saw  it, 
he  wondered  at  the  sight:    and  as  he   drew  near  to 

32  behold,  there  came  a  voice  of  the  I^ord,  I  am  the 
God  of  thy  fathers,  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  of 
Isaac,   and   of   Jacob.      And    Moses   trembled,   and 

33  durst  not  behold.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him, 
Loose  the  shoes  from  thy  feet :  for  the  place  whereon 

34  thou  standest  is  holy  ground.  I  have  surely  seen  the 
affliction  of  my  people  which  is  in  Egypt,  and  have 
heard  their  groaning,  and  I  am  come  down  to  deliver 
them:  and  now  come,  I  will  send  thee  into  Egypt. 

35  This  Moses  whom  they  refused,  saying,  Who  made 
thee  a  ruler  and  a  judge  ?  him  hath  God  sent  to  he 
both  a  ruler  and  a  ^  deliverer  with  the  hand  of  the  an- 

1  Gr.  redeemer. 
Sinai,  the  name  of  the  particular  mountain  from  -which  the  Law  wag 
given. — An  angel.  '  llere,  as  continually  in  the  Old  Testament,  the 
angel  bears  the  authority  and  presence  of  God  Himself;  which  angel, 
since  God  giveth  not  Ills  [/lory  to  another,  must  have  been  the  great 
Angel  of  the  Covenant,  of  whom  Isaiah  writes,  '  In  all  their  afllictiou 
He  was  alUictcd,  and  the  Angel  of  His  presence  saved  them '  (Isa. 
68:  9),  namely,  'the  Son  of  God;'  so  Alford,  correctly.  He  appro- 
priates the  titles  of  God  and  says,  '  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  of 

Isaac,  and  of  Jacob I  have  surely  seeti  the  alilictiou  of  my 

people,  and  I  am  come  down  to  deliver  them'  (Ex.  3 :  G-8). 

Ver.  33.  Loose  the  shoes  from  thy  feet,  etc.  It  was,  and  is 
still,  in  the  East  a  mark  of  reverence  to  take  off  the  shoes  or  sandals 
in  the  presence  of  a  superior.  The  Mohammedans  always  enter  their 
mosques  barefoot.  God  sanctifies  whatever  He  touches,  and  this  spot 
became  holy  ground,  just  as  the  Temple  on  Mount  Sion.  Stephen  in- 
directly argues  from  this  that  holiness  belongs  exclusively  to  no  ono 
earthly  sanctuary.  There  was  no  temple  there,  said  Chrysostom  ;  yet 
the  place  was  holy,  owing  to  the  presence  of  Christ. 

Ver.  35.  This  Moses.  Very  impressively  and  with  mai-ked  em- 
phasis, Stephen,  in  vers.  35-38,  four  times  repeats  the  demonstrative  pro- 
noun to  bring  out  the  contrast  between  God's  marked  favor  and  man'sre- 
jection.    By  men  disowned,  but  by  God  exalted  to  be  ruler  and  deliverer. 

The  parallel  between  the  great  Hebrew  lawgiver  and  Jesus,  veiled 
only  by  the  studied  concealment  of  the  name  of  Jesus,  becomes  closer 
and  more  marked  as  the  argument  proceeds.  The  choice  of  the  titles 
k'uler,  judge,  deliverer — which  Stephen  gives  to  Moses,  is  also  evi- 
dently suggested  by  the  striking  parallel  in  his  mind. 


86  ACTS  VII.  [7:  36-38. 

3G  gel  which  appeared  to  him  in  the  bush.  This  man 
led  them  forth,  having  wrought  wonders  and  signs  in 
Egypt,  and  in  the  Red  sea,  and  in  the  wilderness  forty 

37  years.  This  is  that  Moses,  which  said  unto  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  A  prophet  shall  God  raise  up  unto  you 

38  from  among  your  brethren,  ^  like  unto  me.  This  is 
he  that  Vv^as  in  the  ^church  in  the  wilderness  with  the 
angel  which  spake  to  him  in  the  mount  Sinai,  and 
with  our  fathers :  who  received  living  oracles  to  give 

1  Or,  as  lie  raised  up  me.  2  Or,  congregation. 

Ver.  37.  This  is  that  Moses,  which  said  unto  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  A  prophet  shall  God  raise  up  unto  you  from 
among  your  brethren,  like  unto  me  (see  note  on  Acts  3 :  22). 
The  one  here  mentioned  was  that  great  Prophet,  the  Messiah,  pon- 
dered over  by  the  pious  Jew  for  so  many  weary  years,  waited  for 
by  every  patriot  heart  in  Israel  with  an  intense  passionate  longing. 
To  the  words  of  the  promise,  Stephen  adds  nothing :  no  comment  was 
needed.  It  was  well  known  that  Stephen  and  those  that  thought  with 
him,  believed  the  prophet  like  unto  Moses  had  already  arisen.  Wlio 
would  dare  to  accuse  Stephen  of  blaspheming  jMoses,  of  whom  he 
spoke  with  such  exceeding  reverence?  But,  on  the  other  hand,  were 
not  his  judges  treating  their  lawgiver  with  scorn,  seeing  they  had  re- 
jected the  Prophet  whom  he  had  promised?  *It  is  not  straining  these 
words  to  find  in  them  perhaps  the  key  to  the  whole  purpose  which  the 
speaker  had  in  referring  to  Moses  as  he  did.  This  Moses  had  been 
raised  up  by  God  to  be  a  deliverer,  a  law-giver,  a  founder  of  a  new 
order  of  things.  Kim  the  people  had  abused,  rejected.  It  was  ho 
who  had  foretold  of  the  great  Prophet,  the  Messiah.  The  emphasis, 
however,  is  on  the  words  '  like  unto  me.'  Uttered  with  rhetorical 
force  as  they  no  doubt  were,  they  laid  bare  the  striking  resemblance 
between  ]\Ioscs  and  Christ,  Sent  of  God,  founders  of  a  new  order, 
Rejected  of  men!     The  audience  might  make  its  own  application. 

Ver.  38.  This  is  he  that  was  in  the  church  in  the 
wilderness.  'God's  church,'  writes  Wordsworth  here,  *is  not 
limited  to  Judxa.  It  was  in  the  wilderness ;  and  there  Moses,  your 
great  lawgiver,  was  with  it;  and  remember  he  died  there  in  the  wil- 
derness, and  was  never  permitted  to  enter  the  Promised  Land,  to  Avhich 
you  would  restrain  the  favors  of  God.' — With  the  angel  which 
spake  to  him  in  the  mount  Sinai.  The  close  communion  of 
Moses  with  God  is  told  best  in  Deut.  34  :  10.  'And  there  arose  not  a 
prophet  since  in  Israel  like  unto  Moses,  whom  the  Lord  knew  face  to 
face.' — ^Living  oracles.  The  law  received  on  Sinai.  They  were 
not  dead,  powerless  words,  but  such  as  had  the  power  of  God  working 
in  them,  and  were  capable  of  giving  life. 


7 :  39-42.]  ACTS  VII.  87 

39  unto  US :  to  whom  our  fathers  would  not  be  obedieDt, 
but  thrust  him  from  them,  and  turned  back  in  their 

40  hearts  unto  Egypt,  saying  unto  Aaron,  Make  us  gods 
which  shall  go  before  us :  for  as  for  this  Moses,  which 
led  us  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  we  wot  not 

41  what  is  become  of  him.  And  they  made  a  calf  in 
those  days,  and  brought  a  sacrifice  unto  the  idol,  and 

42  rejoiced  in  the  works  of  their  hands.  But  God  turned, 
and  gave  them  up  to  serve  the  host  of  heaven ;  as  it  is 
written  in  the  book  of  the  prophets. 

Did  ye  offer  unto  me  slain  beasts  and  sacrifices 
Forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  O  house  of  Israel  ? 

Ver.  39.  Turned  back  in  their  hearts  unto  Egypt.  They 
were  weary  of  the  severe  restraints  imposed  by  the  worship  of  Je- 
hovah, and  longed  for  the  idol  service  of  Egypt,  and  the  enjoyment  of 
the  license  which  was  permitted  and  even  sanctioned  in  most  of  those 
ancient  systems  of  idolatry  (Ex.  10:3;  Numb.  11 :  4). 

Ver.  40.  As  for  this  Moses  .  .  .  we  wot  not  what  is  be- 
come of  him.  This  was  spoken  during  Moses'  stay  in  the  mount  of 
God,  when,  for  forty  days,  he  remained  alone  with  God. 

Ver.  41.  They  made  a  calf  in  those  days.  The  famous 
golden  calf,  made  under  the  direction  of  Aaron,  while  his  brother  was 
on  the  mount,  and  which  was  subsequently  destroyed  by  Moses  (Ex. 
82:  1-11),  seems  to  have  been  a  representation  not  of  a  calf,  but  of  a 
full-grown  bull,  and  was  doubtless  intended  to  represent  the  Egyptian 
Bull  Apis  adored  at  jMemphis,  or  the  Bull  Mnevis  worshipped  at 
Ileliopolis,  in  Lower  Egypt.  The  Israelites  seem  to  have  been  pe- 
culiarly attached  to  this  symbol  of  idolatry ;  for  we  find  .Jeroboam,  the 
first  king  of  Israel,  after  the  separation  of  the  monarchies,  setting  up, 
in  opposition  to  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem,  rival  sanctuaries  at  Bethel 
and  at  Dan,  dedicated  each  to  '  a  golden  calf  (1  Kings  12:  28).  The 
attachment  of  the  people  to  these  idols  is  borne  witness  to  by  such 
passages  as  2  Kings  10 :  29,  when  kings  like  Jehu,  famous  for  their 
enmity  to  idolatry,  allowed  these  'golden  calves'  and  their  sanctuaries 
to  remain  in  the  land. 

Ver.  42.  But  God  turned.  That  is,  changed  towards  them, 
withdrew  from  them  His  favor,  laid  no  check  upon  their  passions  and 
follies  (see  Acts  14:  16).  'If  ye  forsake  the  Lord  and  serve  strange 
gods,  then  he  will  tum  and  do  you  hurt'  (Josh.  24:  20). — The  host 
of  heaven.  The  stars,  sun  and  moon.  This  form  of  idol-worship  is 
called  Sabreism,  from  X:]V  (tsava),  host.  This  idolatry  prevailed  espe- 
cially in  Chaldea,  and  also  in  Phoenicia,  as  well  as  in  Egypt,    *  Manas- 


88  ACTS  VII.  i;7:  43. 

43      And  ye  took  up  the  tabernacle  of  Moloch, 
And  the  star  of  the  god  Rephan, 
The  figures  which  ye  made  to  worship  them : 
And  I  will  carry  you  away  beyond  Babylon. 

sell  built  altars  to  the  'host  of  heaven,'  and  worshipped  them  (2 
Chron.  33:  3,  5) ;  and  Jeremiah  (19  :  13)  and  Zephaniah  (1 :  5)  speak 
of  the  same  thing.  But  the  people  were  specially  warned  against  it 
(Deut.  4:  19).  The  sin  of  Israel  was  that  it  worshipped  the  created 
host  instead  of  Jehovah  Sabaoth,  the  'Lord  of  hosts'  (riumptre). — 
Book  of  the  prophets.  The  twelve  minor  prophets,  which  were 
reckoned  by  the  Jews  as  one  book.  The  passage  quoted  here  is  from 
Amos  5:  25-27. — Did  ye  offer  unto  me  slain  beasts  and  sac- 
rifices ?  The  question  requires  a  negative  answer.  God  is  repre- 
sented as  saying  as  much  as :  '  Surely  you  do  not  pretend  to  say  that 
you  offered  to  Me  slain  beasts  and  sacrifices.  You  have  even  taken 
up  the  tabernacle  of  Moloch,'  etc.  This  accusation  of  Amos  was  no 
contradiction  of  the  story  of  the  Pentateuch,  which  indeed  speaks  of 
the  ordinary  daily  sacrifices  during  the  desert  wanderings  ;  but  what 
counted  in  God's  eyes  the  formal  rites  and  sacrifices  performed  by 
priests  under  the  immediate  influence  of  Moses,  compared  to  the 
spontaneous  offerings  made,  and  to  the  service  done  to  the  golden 
calves  or  the  host  of  heaven  ? 

Ver.  43.  Ye  took  up  the  tabernacle  of  Moloch,  This  was 
a  small  portable  tent  which  sheltered  the  image  of  the  idol,  Moloch 
was  most  probably  identical  with  the  Tyrian  Baal,  the  sun-god.  Ac- 
cording to  rabbinical  tradition,  a  fire  was  kindled  beneath  the  idol, 
which  was  a  hollow  metallic  figure  with  the  head  of  an  ox  with  out- 
stretched arms :  a  child  was  placed  in  the  arms  of  the  figure,  and 
thus  was  burned  to  death,  while  the  priests  beat  their  drums  so  as  to 
stifle  the  child's  cries.  The  image  received  the  name  Tophet  fJer.  7: 
31)  from  tophim  drums.  The  worship  of  Moloch  was  forbidden  by 
Moses  (Lev,  18:  21;  20:  2)  but  afterwards  practiced  (Jer,  32:  35), 
and  even  Solomon  erected  a  place  for  it  (1  Kings  11 :  7). — And  the 
star  of  the  god  Rephan.  Rephan  is  the  Coptic  name  for  Saturn, 
who  was  worshipped  by  the  Arabians,  Phoenicians,  and  Egyptians. 
The  description  in  Diodorus  S'culus  of  the  horrid  child-sacrifices 
offered  at  Carthage  to  Saturn  resembles  the  rabbinical  account  of  the 
worship  of  Moloch.  Stephen  here  quotes  verbatim  from  the  Greek 
translation  (LXX)  of  Amos  5 :  26. — Beyond  Babylon.  The  pas- 
sage in  Amos  concludes  with  the  words  '  beyond  Damascus ;'  but  the 
fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  in  the  well-known  captivity  of  Babylon 
made  this  substitution  natural.  Such  a  quotation  with  the  denuncia- 
tion of  the  original  prophecy  intensified,  when  subsequent  history 
demanded  it,  was  a  rabbinical  custom  (Meyer),  and  therefore  the 
change  was  not  an  error  of  Stephen. 


7:  44-47.]  ACTS  VII.  89 

Chapter  7:  44-50. 
The  Tabernacle  of  God. 

44  Our  fathers  had  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony  in  the 
wilderness,  even  as  he  appointed  who  spake  unto 
Moses,  that  he  should  make  it  according  to  the  figure 

45  that  he  had  seen.  Which  also  our  fathers,  in  their 
turn,  brought  in  with  ^Joshua  when  they  entered  on 
the  possession  of  the  nations,  which  God  thrust  out 
before  the  face  of  our  fathers,  unto  the  days  of  David ; 

46  who  found  favour  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  asked  to 

47  find  a  habitation  for  the  God  of  Jacob.     But  Solomon 

1  Gr.  Jesus. 
The  Tabernacle  of  God,  vers.  44-50. 

Ver.  44.  The  taberDacle  of  the  testimony  in  the  wil- 
derness. This  name  was  frequently  used  (Ex.38:  21;  Numb.  1 : 
60)  of  the  Tabernacle.  It  received  it  most  probably  from  the  fact  of 
Jehovah  giving  there  witness  of  Himself  in  the  visible  glory,  the 
Shekinah,  which  at  certain  times  rested  on  the  golden  mercy-seat  of 
the  ark  between  the  cherubim,  "^or  from  the  two  tables  of  stone  which 
contained  the  decalogue,  and  were  preserved  in  the  'ark  of  the  testi- 
mony' within  the  Tabernacle  (Ex,  25:  16). — According  to  the 
figure  that  he  had  seen.  The  superior  sanctity  of  the  Tabernacle 
to  the  Temple  is  here  suggested.  The  old  Tabernacle  which  had  dis- 
appeared was  fashioned  after  a  pattern  given  to  Moses  in  the  mount 
by  God  (Ex.  25 :  9-40). 

Ver.  45.  Which  also  our  fathers  ....  brought  in  w^ith 
Joshua.  Stephen  has  passed  away  from  Moses,  aud  is  here  rapidly 
sketching  the  history  of  the  sacred  tent,  which  continued  to  be  the 
sanctuary  not  merely  in  the  wilderness,  but  until  the  age  of  Solomon. 
Wordsworth  remarks  '  that  the  name  of  .Jesus,  though  ever  in  the 
thoughts  of  Stephen,  is  never  expressed  in  his  speech,  but  here,  when 
it  does  not  mean  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  but  Jesus  (or  Joshua)  the  son  of 
"^  Nun.  How  much  wisdom  was  there  in  this  I  If  he  had  openly  spoken  as 
he  felt  concerning  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  he  would  have  been  stopped  at  once 
by  the  rage  of  his  hearers,  and  the  Christian  Church  would  never  have 
had  the  speech  of  Stephen  :  there  was  divine  eloquence  in  his  silence,' 

Ver.  47.  But  Solomon  built  him  an  house.  Stephen's  ar- 
gument may  be  paraphrased  thus  :  '  The  Temple,  against  which  you 
accuse  me  of  having  spoken  blasphemous  words,  because  I  pointed 
out  (as  did  my  Master)  that  it  would  not  endure  forever,  was  first 
built,  not  by  David,  the  man  after  God's  own  heart,  but  by  Solomon, 
and  replaced  an  older  sanctuary,  and  one  that  possessed  holier  associa- 
tions than  the  Temple,  seeing  it  was  designed  upon  a  model  which 
Moses  received  from  the   Most   Wm\\.     That  sacred  Tabernacle  even 


90  ACTS  VII.  [7 :  48-51. 

48  built  him  a  house,     Howbeit  the  Most  High  dwelleth 
not  in  houses  made  with  hands ;  as  saith  the  prophet, 

49  The  heaven  is  my  throne, 

And  the  earth  the  footstool  of  my  feet : 

What  manner  of  house  will  ye  build  me?  saith  the 

Lord  : 
Or  what  is  the  place  of  my  rest  ? 

50  Did  not  my  hand  make  all  these  things? 

CnAPTER  7:  51-53. 
Impassioned  Application  of  the  Speech. 

51  Ye  stifp-necked  and  uncircumcised  in  heart  and  ears, 

was  not  meant  to  endure  forever.  Is  it  then  blasphemy  for  me  to 
teach  that  tlie  Temple  which  succeeded  it  was  also  of  a  transitory  na- 
ture? Steplien  might  have  mentioned  the  fact  that  even  the  ark,  with 
the  two  tables  of  stone,  was  lost.  This  would  have  strengthened  his 
argument,  but  it  would  have  been  ungenerous  in  a  true  Jew :  the  bit- 
ter humiliation  of  Israel  was  not  a  topic  Stephen  was  likely  to  dwell  upon. 

Ver.  48.  Howbeit  the  Most  High  dwelleth  not  in  houses. 
Solomon,  the  builder  of  the  Temple,  did  not  regard  it  as  confining  God 
to  that  one  place.  He  prayed  at  the  dedication  (1  Kings  8  :  27) :  '  But 
God  will  indeed  dwell  with  men  on  earth  ;  behold,  the  heaven  and 
heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain  thee,  how  much  less  the  house  that  I 
have  built.'  The  words  quoted  from  Isa.  66 :  1  were  the  burden  of 
all  the  prophets.  *  Stephen  might  have  quoted  the  passage  from  Solo- 
mon's prayer,  which  expressed  the  same  thought.  But  now  that  he 
had  broken  down  the  notion  that  exclusive  holiness  belonged  to  the 
Temple  as  a  place  of  worship,  he  turns  for  proof  to  the  great  prophet, 
who  had  so  distinctly  foretold  the  Messiah.  His  eye  was  already 
sweeping  across  the  long  interval  to  the  advent  of  Jesus,  and  the 
quotation  from  the  prophet  Isaiah  would  tend  to  give  more  emphasis 
to  his  main  thought  than  one  from  Solomon  would  have  done. 
Impassioned  Application  of  the  Speech,  vers.  51—53. 

Ver.  51.  Ye  stiff-necked  and  uncircumcisei  in  heart  and 
ears.  Thus  far  had  Stephen  pursued  his  argument  calmly  and  with- 
out passion,  though,  as  one  great  division  of  the  history  after  the  other 
passed  before  him  in  review,  his  style  became  more  fervid.  He  had 
brought  down  the  story  of  the  people  to  the  period  of  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Temple  worship  and  the  glorious  reign  of  Solomon.  He 
might  have  gone  further,  but  he  had  said  enough.  And  now  these 
thoughts,  and  the  thought  above  all  of  the  crucifixion,  which  filled 
the  soul  of  Stephen  with  holy  indignation,  found  vent  in  a  torrent  of 
rebuke  against  his  guilty  judges.  The  bitter  words  of  reproach  which 
he  used  were  familiar  to  every  Jew.     Compare  among  many  passages 


7 :  52,  53.]  ACTS  VII.  91 

ye  do  always  resist  the  Holy  Ghost :  as  your  fathers 

52  did,  so  do  ye.  Which  of  the  prophets  (Hd  -not  your 
fathers  persecute  ?  and  they  killed  them  which  shewed 
before  of  the  coming  of  the  Righteous  One ;  of  whom 

53  ye  have  now  become  betrayers  and  murderers ;  ye  who 
received  the  law  ^as  it  was  ordained  by  angels,  and 
kept  it  not. 

1  Or,  as  the  ordinance  of  angels.    Gr.  unto  ordinances  of  angels. 

Bent.  9:  6,  13;  Ex.  33:  3-5;  Neh.  9:  16.  *The  abrupt  change  in 
Stephen's  tone  was  perhaps  due  to  anger  displayed  in  the  faces  of  the 
judges.  The  audience  must  have  been  wrought  up  to  an  uncontrollable 
pitch  of  indignation.  The  words  of  the  speaker  were  sharper  than 
swords.  The  address  '  uncircumcised  in  heart  and  ears '  was  an  ar- 
raignment as  terrible  as  it  was  defiant.  Circumcision  was  the  mark  of 
an  Israelite,  and  the  sign  of  the  inheritance  of  the  promises  of  Abra- 
ham and  Moses.  'Ye  have  the  outward  badge  of  the  covenant,  but 
your  ears  are  deaf  and  unconsecrated,  so  that  ye  have  not  taken  in  the 
meaning  of  Moses  and  the  propliets,  and  your  heart  is  hard  and  un- 
consecrated, so  that  ye  have  not  believed  the  truth  as  they  spoke  it.' 
This  is  the  tenor  of  Stephen's  words  (see  Deut.  10 :  IG).  Perhaps  he  read 
in  the  looks  of  the  judges  that  they  would  not  listen  to  him  much  longer. 

Ver.  52.  The  Righteous  One.  This  title  was  used  by  the  Jews 
as  a  designation  of  the  Messiah.  'This  sentence  (of  Stephen's)  seems 
to  have  been  in  the  mind  of  the  second  apostolic  martyr  at  Jerusalem, 
James,  when  he  wrote  his  epistle  a  little  before  his  own  martyrdom,' 
Jas.  5:  6  (Wordsworth). 

Ver.  53.  "Who  received  the  law,  etc.  That  is,  '  it  was  an- 
nounced to  Israel,  in  the  first  place,  by  angels  acting  as  the  ministers 
of  the  King  of  heaven.'  Were  angels  employed  in  the  giving  of  the 
Law  ?  On  reading  the  simple  text  the  first  impression  is,  that  no  such 
angelic  intervention  was  employed.  Jehovah  gives,  and  Moses  re- 
ceives, the  Law.  On  the  other  hand,  all  Jewish  tradition  ascribed  to 
angels  an  important  place  as  assistants  in  the  giving  of  the  Law.  So 
Josephus  (^4/i<.  15  :  5,3).  '  We  have  learned  what  is  most  beautiful 
and  holy  in  our  doctrines  and  laws  from  God  through  the  medium  of 
angels.'  The  striking  passage  Deut.  33  :  2,  the  great  Jewish  expositors 
and  doctors,  the  LXX.,  etc.,  interpret,  as  directly  teaching  sucli  inter- 
position in  the  giving  of  the  Law.  The  accurate  rendering  of  the 
passage  is:  'He  came  from  amidst  mj^riads  of  holiness,'  that  is,  from 
amidst  countless  angels  who  attend  Him.  The  LXX.  translate  '  on  his 
right  hand  were  angels.'  The  statement  of  Ps.  68 :  17  :  '  The  chariots 
of  God  are  twice  ten  thousand,  are  thousands  upon  thousands :  the 
Lord  among  them  hath  come  from  Sinai,  into  His  sanctuary ; '  and 
possibly  Num.  10 :  36 :  '  Return,  0  Jehovah,  with  the  myriads  of  the 
thousands  of  Israel'  (Perowne's  translation),  teach  the  same  truth. 


92  ACTS  VII.  [7:  54,55. 

Chapter  7 :  5-1-GO. 
Stephen's-  Martyrdom. 

51  Now  when  tliey  heard  these  things,  they  were  cut 
to  the  heart,  and  they  gnashed  on  him  with  their  teeth. 

55  Bat  he,  being  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  looked  up  stcd- 
fastly  into  heaven,  and  saAv  the  glory  of  God,  and 

Taul  (Gal.  3 :  19),  and  the  writer  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Ilelorcws  (2 :  2) 
expressly  mention  the  fact. — '^And  kept  it  not.  'Notwithstanding 
all  your  phylacteries '  (Bengcl).  This  is  a  niost  striking  and  tragic 
contrast,  and  reminds  us  of  John's  words:  '  Jlc  came  unto  his  own, 
and  they  that  were  his  own  received  him  not'  (John  I:  11).  The 
words  were  evidently  spoken  with  great  emphasis.  The  Law  was  given 
to  yon  and  the  prophets,  but  ye  have  rejected  both  iu  rejecting  him 
who  was  the  *  end  of  the  Law  and  tlie  prophets.' 

*  Practical  Xoteb  (upon  tlio  wliolc  discourse).— It  is  well  to  hnvo  n  ready  command 
of  Scripture  that  wo  may  bo  able  to  give  a  reason  for  the  fiiilh  that  is  in  us  (1  Tot.  o  : 
15).  Steplicn  showed  great  ingenuity  in  liis  answer  to  the  liigli  priest's  summons 
(ver.  1).  But  the  fncts  of  his  reply  were  all  from  the  Scripture,  and  largely  in  its  very 
language.  — God's  promises,  though  often  slow,  are  sure.  Ho  called  Abraham;  but  it 
was  not  till  many  hundred  years  afterwards  that  tho  promise  to  him  was  fulfilled 
(ver.  17).  Through  Moses  Ho  promised  tho  Messiah  (ver.  37);  and  although  tho 
Israelites  had  grown  weary  in  wiiiting,  God  had  not  forgotten.  In  Christ  likewise, 
though  Uis  promises  tarry,  they  will  surely  come  to  pass. — There  is  a  remarlcaLlo 
unity  in  the  history  of  revelation.  Tlio  Old  Testament  points  beyond  itself  to  somo- 
thiiig  better.  Moses,  as  well  as  the  I'rophets,  directed  Israel  to  look  forward  to  tho 
period  of  the  Messiah.  Christ  tauglit  us  to  expect  no  one  greater  than  himself. — Every 
place  may  become  a  temple  where  tlio  '  God  of  glory '  reveals  Himself.  IIo  is  not  con- 
liucd  to  a  single  place.  In  ^Mesopotamia  (to  Abraham),  in  Egypt  (to  Joseph),  in  tho 
burning  bush  in  tho  wilderness  and  on  Mt.  Sinai,  He  manifested  His  glory  as  well  as 
at  Jcrus.ikm.  Our  bodies  arc  the  "temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost.' — The  meaning  of 
God's  promises  may  bo  mistaken  by  tho.so  for  whom  they  are  specially  meant.  God 
hill  tjpoken  plainly  through  IMoses  and  the  Trophets.  But  when  Stcplion  explained 
from  tlio  Scriptures,  that  tho  Mosaic  dispensation  and  the  temple  were  only  tem- 
porary and  not  permanent,  these  things  \vero  'counted  as  a  strange  thing'  (Uos.  8 
12).  Students  may  know  the  lelter  of  Scripture  by  heart,  yet  miss  its  intent  and 
purpose. 

Stcphcii^s  Martyrdom,  vers.  54-CO. 

Ver.  54.  They  gnashed  on  him  with  their  teeth.  The 
sting  of  Stephen's  reproachful  words  moved  them  to  an  irrepressible 
fury.  The  expression  'to  gnash  with  the  teeth'  is  frequently  used  in 
the  Old  Testament  to  signify  furious  rage;  see  Job  IG:  9;  Ps.  35:  IG; 
37:  12. 

Ver.  55.   And  saw  the  glory  of  God,  and  Jesus.    'The  scene 


7 :  56-58.]  ACTS  VII.  98 

5G  Jesus  standing  on  the  right  hand  of  God,  and  said, 
Behold,  I  see  the  heavens  opened,  and  tlie  Son  of  man 

57  standing  on  the  right  hand  of  God.  But  they  cried 
out  with  a  loud  voice,  and  stopped  their  ears,  and 

68  rushed  upon  him  with  one  accord ;  and  they  cast  him 
out  of  the  city,  and  stoned  him :  and  the  witnesses 
laid  down  their  garments  at  the  feet  of  a  young  man 

before  his  eyes  was  no  longer  the  council-hall  of  Jerusalem  and  the 
circle  of  his  infuriated  judges ;  but  he  gazed  up  into  the  endless  courts 
of  the  celestial  Jerusalem,  ivith  its  innumerable  company  of  angels, 
and  saw  Jesus,  in  whose  righteous  cause  he  was  about  to  die'  (Cony- 
beare  and  Howson,  St.  Paul).  It  is  possible  the  material  heaTcns  may 
be  referred  to  in  the  words  'looked  up  stedfastly  into  heaven;'  yet 
as  the  vision  was  supernatural,  and  to  him  for  a  brief  space  the  heaven 
of  heavens  was  opened,  and  his  eyes  saw  clearly  into  its  glorious  courts, 
it  is  by  no  means  necessary  to  assume  that  he  was  gazing  into  the  open 
sky  at  all.  *  '  Stephen  had  begun  with  speaking  of  the  •'  God  of  glory  " 
(ver.  2).  He  ends  with  that  glory  as  belonging,  to  the  Son  of  man'  • 
(Plumptre). 

Ver.  56.  The  Son  of  man.  This  was  a  title  which  Christ  often 
gave  to  himself  when  on  earth,  but  which  was  never  applied  to  him 
after  his  resurrection,  except  by  Stephen  here.  (Rev.  1:  13;  1-1:  14, 
where  the  designation  again  occurs,  are  both  merely  the  recital  of 
visions  in  heaven.)  As  the  martyr  used  the  words,  many  of  those 
present  must  have  well  remembered  the  words  of  Jesus  before  the 
same  council :  '  Henceforth  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  at  the  right 
hand  of  power,  and  coming  on  the  clouds  of  heaven'  (Matt.  26:  64). — 
Standing  on  the  right  hand  of  God.  Everywhere  else  the 
Lord  is  described  as  sitting;  by  Mark  (16:  19):  'He  was  received  up 
into  heaven,  and  sat  at  the  right  hand  of  God;'  by  Paul  (Eph.  1 :  20) ; 
by  David  writing  of  the  Messiah  (Ps.  110:  1)  :  'The  Lord  said  unto 
my  Lord,  Sit  Thou  at  My  right  hand.'  Chrysostom  well  says  that' 
Stephen  saw  Jesus  standing,  '  because  Jesus  had  risen  from  the  "throne, 
as  it  were,  to  succor  his  persecuted  servant,  and  to  receive  him  to  him- 
self.' Usually  our  Lord  is  described  as  the  Judge,  and  as  Judge  he 
^(Y.9  on  his  throne;  here  he  appears  standing,  ready  to  assist  and  to 
receive  his  faithful  martyr. 

Ver.  57.  They  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice.  The  purport  of 
their  cries  no  doubt  was  identical  with  the  expression  of  the  high  priest 
at  the  trial  of  Jesus  (Matt.  26:  65,  66):  'He  hath  spoken  blasphemy; 
what  think  ye?     They  answered  and  said,  He  is  worthy  of  death.' 

Ver.  58.  Cast  him  out  of  the  city.  By  the  law  of  Moses  (Lev. 
24:  14-16),  these  executions  were  to  take  place  outside  the  camp.  For 
an  example,  see  the  account  of  the  stoning  of  Naboth  (1  Kings  21 :  13). 
— And  stoned  him.     The  most  severe  punishment  of  the  Jews  and 


04  ACTS  VII.  [7:  o9,  GO. 

59  named  Saul.     And  they  stoned  Stephen,  calling  upon 
the  Lord,  and  saying,  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit. 

60  And  he  kneeled  down,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 

practised  in  the  cases  of  those  who  were  guilty  of  blasphemy  and  turned 
away  from  the  true  God  or  comuiitted  a  violent  moral  transgression 
(Ex.  VJ:  13;  Deut.  17:  5;  Josh.  7:  25).— At  the  feet  of  a  young 
man  named  Saul.  This  is  the  first  time  Paul  of  Tarsus  appears 
mixed  up  with  the  affairs  of  the  Church.  It  was  as  the  bitterest  enemy 
of  the  new  sect.  As  a  prominent  member,  no  doubt,  of  the  Cilician 
synagogue  (Acts  6:9),  in  its  disputations  with  Stephen,  he  had  become 
acquainted  with  much  of  the  teaching  of  the  leading  followers  of  Jesus. 
The  expression  'young  man'  must  not  be  understood  as  we  would  now 
use  it.  Gloag  quotes  Varro  as  calling  a  man  'young'  till  the  age  of 
forty-five,  and  Dio  Cassius  speaking  of  Cassar  as  '  a  young  man '  when 
about  forty.  Shortly  after  this  time  the  Sanhedrin  employed  Saul  as 
their  chief  agent  in  an  important  mission  to  Damascus,  Such  a  Avork 
would  scarcely  have  been  entrusted  to  one  still  a  young  man  in  our 
acceptation  of  the  word.  "Whether  he  was  one  of  the  Sanhedrin  judges 
at  this  time  is  doubtful;  but  that  he  was  elected  a  member  soon  after, 
is  sometimes  inferred  from  Acts  26:  10. 

Ver.  59.  Calling  upon  the  Lord.  The  words  the  Lord  are  not 
in  the  Greek,  but  are  evidently  to  be  supplied,  as  is  plain  from  the 
next  clause:  'Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit.'  It  is  a  direct  prayer  to 
Jesus  and  moulded  upon  two  of  the  seven  sayings  of  the  lledeemer  on 
the  cross.  To  Jesus  as  Saviour  he  commends  his  parting  soul ;  to 
.lesus  as  Lord  of  all  he  prays  for  pardon  on  his  murderers.  Comment- 
ing on  this  prayer  being  offered  to  Christ,  Canon  Liddon  well  says: 
*  Dying  men  do  not  cling  to  devotional  fancies  or  to  precarious  opin- 
ions: the  soul  in  its  last  agony  instinctively  falls  back  upon  its  deepest 
certainties'  {Divinity  of  Chrid,  Lecture  vii.).  As  Augustine  points  out, 
Stephen's  prayer  was  fulfilled  in  the  conversion  of  I'aul :  'If  Stephen 
had  not  prayed,  the  Church  would  not  have  had  Paul '  [Si  Steplianus 
>?ion  sic  ora&set,  ccdcsia  SauJum  non  habcrct.) 

Ver.  60.  He  fell  asleep.  A  heathen  poet,  Callimachus,  said 
(Epig.  10):  'When  good  men  die,  it  is  not  death,  but  sleep.'  How- 
ever, the  idea  of  death  as  a  sleep  is,  in  a  peculiar  sense,  a  Christian 
idea,  as  is  the  word  ccmcVrii,  that  is,  a  sleeping  place  where  the 
bodies  were  laid  only  to  sleep  till  the  resurrection  should  awaken  them. 

*  Practical  Norrs.— Stephen  experiencecl  thetmth  which  his  speech  broiiglit  out- 
that  noble  aims  are  not  alwiiys  honored  in  tliis  M-nrid  nor  good  men  ahvays  well  treated. 
— Whom  men  reject  and  ca«t  out,  God  often  receives  (ver.  55).  The  judgments  of  men 
and  of  God  do  not  always  agree. — A  believing  regard  of  the  other  world  will  help  us  to 
forget  the  fears  and  troubles  of  this.  He  who  looks  up  to  heaven  (ver.  55)  is  not  apt  to 
be  distracted  by  the  passions  of  earth  and  sees  no  darkness  in  death. — 'He  fell  ivsloep.' 
A  sul  but  sweet  word,  says  Bengel.  Stephen's  career  was  cut  off  early  on  earth.  T.ut 
belay  down  to  awaken  in  the  glory  beyond.     'God  givcth  His  beloved  sleep '(Ps  lz7: 


7 :  GO.]  ACTS  VII.  05 

Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge.     And  when  he 
had  said  this,  he  fell  asleep. 

2).  Death  is  not  night  but  a  sleep,  not  the  '  end  all '  but  a  portal. — Stephen's  martyr- 
dom is  told  at  so  great  length,  to  inform  us  of  a  Christian's  courageous  bearing  in 
sufleihig,  forgiving  kindness  to  his  abusers  and  his  peaceful  going  home.- Stciihen's 
speech  and  death  had  a  strong  bearing  on  the  past.  He  spoke  before  the  destruction 
of  the  temple,  and  his  quotation  from  Christ's  words  is  witness  that  Chriet  foresaw 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  foretold  it.  Stephen's  death  is  inconcoivalle  except 
1 11  the  ground  of  his  absolute  faith  in  the  resurrection.  Men  do  not  die  and  die  so 
\)  acefully,  for  a  theory. — They  had  also  a  strong  bearing  on  the  future  of  the  Church. 
I'rayer  may  preach  and  though  dead  one  may  speak.  Saul  (ver.  GO)  .'^aw  Stephen  die, 
in  all  probability  heard  him  speak.  In  his  heart  the  seed  of  the  martyr's  words  and 
his  peaceful,  joyous  looks  in  death,  germinated  into  convictions  of  the  truth  of  the 
Gospel. 

*  ExctiRsus :  The  Sthuctube  and  Purpose  of  Stephen's  Speech. — The  impression 
left  after  the  first  reading  of  Stephen's  speech,  may  be  that  it  is  rambling  and  lacks 
definite  point.  But  a  closer  examination  of  its  structure  and  contents  alters  this  im- 
pression, and  produces  the  conviction  that  it  is  not  only  a  boldly  uttered,  but  a  very 
skilfully  constructed  and  managed  argum'  nt.  We  should  expect  iiothing  less  from  a 
man,  whose  '  wisdom '  and  skill  in  disputation  are  so  strongly  emphasized  by  the  writer 
of  the  Acts  (6  :  10),  two  characteristics  he  had  not  as(;ribed  to  any  of  the  Apostles.  Two 
tilings  strike  the  attention  at  once  and  forcibly  in  the  structure  of  the  siieech:  1)  The 
large  space  given  to  the  history  of  Israel  and  the  fact  that  Christianity  is  dircdhj 
referred  to  only  once, — in  the  crucifixion  of  its  founder  (ver.  52);  and  2)  The  abrupt 
change  in  ver.  51  from  the  style  of  a  calm  argument  from  histoiical  facts,  to  an  im- 
passioned arraignment  of  the  judges.  This  latter  featuie  may  have  been  due  to  the 
pent  lip  feeling  of  indignation  which  Stephen  after  dwelling  upon  such  signal  instances 
of  Israel's  recalcitrancy,  could  not  longer  restrain  in  the  presence  of  Israelites,  who  had 
followed  the  example  of  their  forefathers  and  bad  rejected  Christ.  But  the  sudden 
transition  more  probably  was  due  to  the  agitated  state  of  the  audience,  which  exasper- 
ated under  the  concealed  but  sharp  thrusts  of  the  skilful  orator,  could  no  longer  con- 
trol its  angry  passion,  and  precipitated  the  close  of  the  speech  before  Stephen  could 
complete  the  argument  by  applying  the  illustrations  from  the  Old  Testament,  directly 
to  the  facts  of  the  Christian  history  and  system.  The  exact  purpose  of  Stephen's  speech 
has  been  stated  in  various  ways.  Grotius  and  others  have  held  the  opinion  that 
Stephen  desired  to  prove  that  God's  presence  is  not  confined  to  a  fixed  place  and  that 
the  Jews  had  no  privileges  before  the  heathen.  But  it  is  not  at  all  likely  that  Stephen 
had  the  latter  point  prominently  on  his  mind.  Eaur  represents  the  main  thought  to 
be  that  the  greater  the  divine  favor  to  Israel  had  been,  the  greater  had  been  its 
ingratitude  and  contumacy.  Dr.  Hackett  thinks  that  its  main  object  was  to  prove 
that  'instead  of  manifesting  true  zeal  for  Moses  and  the  temple  in  opposing  the  Gospel, 
tlie  Jews  were  again  acting  out  the  rebellion  of  their  fathers,'  and  Meyer  paraphrnses 
Stephen's  purpose  in  this  way :  '  I  stand  here  accused  not  a'?  a  blasphempr  of  the  Law 
and  the  temple,  but  in  consequence  of  the  contumacy  towards  God's  messengers  which 
you  have  inherited  from  your  fathers  and  are  perpetuating.'  He  lays  stress  upon  ver. 
51  as  containing  the  kernel  of  the  speech,  and  urges  that  the  sole  puqiose  Stephen  had 
in  referring  to  the  episodes  in  the  Old  Testament,  was  to  illustrate  this  idea.     Tho 


96  ACTS  VII.  [7:  GO. 

three  last  views  are  really  modifications  of  one  and  the  same  view,  that  the  recalci- 
trancy of  the  Jewish  council  was  no  novel  thing.  But  it  has  insuperable  difficulties. 
If  this  were  the  iaai:i  purpose  of  Stephen's  speech,  then  why  did  he  give  such  a 
largo  space  to  Abraham  (vers.  2-8),  and  to  the  construction  of  tlie  tabernacle  and  tem- 
ple (vers.  44-50),  and  while  taking  up  this  subject,  pass  over  the  prophets  in  whose 
persecutions  (e. g.,  Jeremiahs)  and  the  period  of  the  kings  in  whose  idolatries,  he 
might  have  found  such  cxcelleut  illustrations  for  his  purpose?  Besides  this  numerous 
little  points  here  and  there  in  the  narratives  of  Joseph  and  Moses,  as  well  as  his  respectful 
mode  of  address  (ver.  2),  have  little  pertinency  on  this  supposition.  Another  view  is 
elaborated  by  Wendt  (in  the  5th  Ed.  of  Meyer).  '  Stephen's  purpose,'  he  says,  was  to 
show  that  God's  gracious  presence  was  not  confined  to  the  temple,  but  that  lie  had 
manifested  Himself  to  the  fathers  in  foreign  lands  and  especially  there.'  This  view  is 
likewise  too  narrow,  although  the  first  clause  contains  part  of  the  truth. 

Wo  must  not  be  misled  by  Stephen's  impassioned  and  abrupt  arraignment  of  his 
judges  (ver.  51),  to  suppose  that  this  was  his  only  or  principal  object.  Such  a  supposi- 
tion degrades  the  speaker  and  overlooks  entirely  the  occasion  of  the  speech  (6 :  13). 
Stephen's  primary  purpose  was  to  answer  the  charge  of  blasphemy  against  the  temple 
and  Moses  (C :  13,  14),  with  which  he  stood  accused  before  the  council,  and  this  he  did 
by  showing  that  God's  presence  was  not  ex'^lusively  confined  to  the  holy  place  at  Jeru- 
salem and  t'uat  far  from  the  JMosaic  '  customs '  being  eternal  and  unalterable,  they 
were  by  Moses'  own  confession  as  well  as  by  after  events  in  history  proved  to  bo  tho 
very  contrary.  Both  these  ideas  run  through  the  whole  of  the  speech.  The  former 
point  Stephen  proved  by  references  to  Abraham  who  had  been  called  in  Mesopotamia 
(when  not  even  the  tabernacle  existed),  to  Joseph  of  whom  though  he  was  in  Egypt 
yet  it  is  said,  ' God  was  with  him'  (ver.  9)  to  th»  graves  at  Shechem  (ver.  IG),  the 
theophanies  of  the  burning-bush  (ver.  33)  and  on  Sinai  (ver.  38),  and  the  tabernacle  of 
the  testimony  (ver.  44)  then  destroyed.  The  latter  point  that  the  '  customs  '  of  Moses 
were  not  immutable  he  proved  by  the  promise  of  Moses  himself  of  a  Prophet  (ver.  37), 
one  who  should  be  '  like  unto  himself  the  recipient  of  a  divine  message,  and  as  Stephen 
no  doubt  also  meant  to  be  understood,  be  ill-treated  and  the  founder  of  a  new  order  of 
things.  On  this  promise  of  the  Messiah  he  dwells  again  in  ver.  52.  His  other  proofs 
of  this  proposition,  were  that  the  very  tabernacle  of  Moses  had  given  way  to  another 
building,  the  temple  of  Solomon,  and  that  prophecy  itself  (Isaiah,  vers.  48, 49)  had  uttered 
in  unmistakable  terms  a  principle  which  by  extending  God's  presence  to  other  places  than 
the  temple,  by  so  much  deprived  it  of  tho  character  of  the  sole  dwelling  place  of  Jehovah. 

The  whole  drift  of  the  speech  tends  to  a  positive  ulterior  conclusion  that  the 
whole  old  dispensation  was  temporary  and  looked  forward  to  the  Christian  period.  It 
is  the  promise  of  the  future  which  is  prominent  in  Abraham's  history  (ver.  6),  it  is  the 
promise  of  the  future  which  the  speaker  hurries  on  with  Joseph's  story  to  reiterate 
(ver.  17).  A  promise  of  the  future  is  prominent  in  Moses'  history  (ver.  37),  and  the 
historical  section  is  concluded  with  a  prophecy  which  has  in  it  a  promise  (ver.  48). 
And  so  prominent  is  this  general  idea  in  his  mind,  that  he  checks  himself  for  a  moment 
in  his  arraignment  to  emphasize  it  again.  Each  period  in  Hebrew  history  pointed  in 
advance  of  itself  to  another.  The  Old  Testament  dispensation  was  imperfect,  nor  was 
the  temple  the  uliimate  local  realization  of  the  divine  presence.  To  him  who  has  this 
thought  in  view,  the  speech  appears  as  a  most  keen  and  far-sighted  conception  of  tlie 
Old  Testament,  and  as  a  most  skilfully  and  subtilly  constructed  argument  'At  first 
ai^ht,'  as  Calvin  says,  '  Stephen's  reply  may  seem  to  bo  absurd  and  irrelevant.'    But  ho 


8:1.]  ACTS*  VIII.  97 

Chapter  8 :  1-4. 

General  Persecution  of  the   Church. 

8 :  1  And  Saal  was  consenting  unto  his  death. 

And  there  arose  on  that  day  a  great  persecution  against 
the  church  which  was  in  Jerusalem ;  and  they  were  all 
scattered  abroad  throughout  the  regions  of  Judaea  and 

Bhov.'s  his  skill  by  concealing  for  so  long  the  eignificancj'  of  his  historicr\l  illustrations 
and  yet  taking  such  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  Old  Testament.  He  proved  that 
Jesus  whose  very  words  he  had  quoted  (6 :  14),  announcing  a  change  in  the  customs  of 
Bloses  and  the  destruction  of  the  temple,  was  uttering  no  novel  thought  but  speaking 
in  consonance  with  the  express  testimony  as  well  as  spirit  of  Moses  and  the  Prophets. 
It  should  therefore,  not  mislead  us  that  in  his  argument  he  should  have  emphasized 
the  recalcitrancy  of  Israel.  The  very  presence  which  he  was  in,  made  that  thought  a 
burning  one  in  his  mind,  and  he  could  not  in  the  very  nature  of  the  case  pass  over  the 
treatment  of  Moses  lightly,  which  furnished  such  a  striking  parallel  to  that  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth.  They  had  heard  the  prophets  (ver.  52)  but  as  their  fathers  had  murdered 
them,  so  they  had  murdered  him  *  of  whom  the  prophets  had  spoken.'  They  had 
received  the  Law  but  had  not  kept  it,  for  him  of  whom  Moses  had  spoken  they  had 
betrayed. 

Stephen  did  not  convince  his  audience,  but  at  the  side  of  the  main  thought  he  left 
anotlier  idea  to  germinate  in  the  mjnds  of  his  hearers,  namely,  that  Abraham  though 
only  a  stranger  in  the  land,  was  the  messenger  of  God  and  became  the  father  of  Israel, 
that  Joseph  though  rejected  by  his  brethren,  was  the  messenger  of  God  and  became 
honored  as  a  patriarch,  that  Moses  though  refused  by  his  enslaved  people,  was  the 
messenger  of  God  and  became  the  great  deliverer  and  lawgiver.  And  so,  the  inference 
would  run,  Jesus  of  Nazareth  though  rejected  by  his  own  people  and  crucified,  might 
be,  yea  was  the  one  whom  Israel  and  the  world  would  yet  honor  as  their  deliverer  and 
king. 

Stephen  was  the  first  to  meet  in  a  bold  and  comprehensive  way  the  great  question  of 
the  relation  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Law,  of  the  new  dispensation  to  the  old.  This  wag 
the  burning  theological  question  of  the  first  century.  Paul  spent  much  time  in 
answering  it,  and  was  much  troubled  by  the  so-called  Judaizing  teachers,  who  held 
that  the  Law  still  contintied  in  force.  We  cannot  help  but  admire  the  wide  sweep  of 
Stephen's  vision.  This  characteristic  of  his  conception  of  Christianity,  as  well  as  hia 
intrepid  boldness,  justify  the  view  that  if  he  had  lived,  he  would  have  developed  into 
a  champion  and  missionary  of  the  faith  such  as  Paul  became. 

General  Persecution  of  the   Church,  vers.  1—4. 

Ver.  1.  And  Saul  was  consenting  unto  his  death.  These 
Tvords  were  no  doubt,  often  heard  by  Luke  from  Paul.  We  find  them 
in  substance  repeated  by  the  apostle  himself  years  after  (Acts  22 :  20). 
*His  name  is  specially  mentioned  among  those  who  participated  in 
putting  Stephen  to  death  on  account  of  his  subsequent  prominence  in 
the  Church. — They  were  all  scattered  abroad.  This  expressionc 
7 


98  ACTS  till.  [8 :  2-4 

2  Samaria,  except  the  apostles.     And  devout  meu  buried 

3  Stephen,  and  made  great  hinientation  over  him.  But 
Saul  laid  waste  the  church,  entering  into  every  house, 
and  haling  meu  and  women  committi^d  them  to 
prison. 

4  They  therefore   that   were   scattered   abroad  went 

should  not  be  understood  literally  ;  but  as  many  of  the  Christians, 
amounting  at  this  time  to  some  thousands,  obliged  by  the  violence  of 
the  persecution  to  leave  the  city,  betook  themselves  to  a  distance,  the 
various  congregations  for  a  time  were  dispersed,  and  the  elaborate 
organization  of  charity  (2:  44,  45;  4:  34,  35;  0:  1-8)  was  broken  up. 
— Except  the  apostles.  It  is  not  impossible  that  the  veneration 
with  which  the  people  had  now  long  regarded  these  teachers,  who  had 
worked  many  and  beneficent-wurks  in  their  midst,  preserved  them  from 
violence.  But  whether  they  were  exposed  to  danger  or  not,  they  felt 
they  had  no  right  to  quit  Jerusalem,  which  they  regarded  as  their  post 
of  duty.  *It  is  not  unlikely  that  the  persecution  was  principally  di- 
rected against  those  who  sympathized  with  Stephen,  and  boldly  avowed 
their  belief  in  a  change  of  the  'customs  of  Moses.'  There  is  nothing 
in  Peter's  speeches  to  show  that  he  liad  gone  as  far  as  Stephen.  He 
was  more  conservative,  and  it  may  be  that  he  and  the  other  apostles 
for  this  cause  escaped  for  a  while. 

Yer.  2.  And  devout  men.  Some  pious  Jews  are  probably  meant, 
who,  though  not  professedly  followers  of  Jesus,  still  as  inquirers,  had 
listened  with  admiration  to  the  brave  and  eloquent  deacon. — Made 
gteat  lamentation  over  him.  Chrysostom  remarks  that  Stephen's 
own  dying  words  w^ere  his  noblest  funeral  oration:  'Lord,  lay  not  this 
sin  to  tbeir  charge.'  There  is  a  legend  that  Gamaliel,  as  a  secret 
Christian,  gave  the  sepulture  in  his  own  garden,  and  that  subsequently 
he  was  buried  in  the  same  tomb. 

Ver.  3.  But  Saul  laid  waste  the  church.  Paul's  own  state- 
ments confirm  this  description.  He  thought  'he  ought  to  do  many 
things  contrary  to  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  ...  in  Jerusalem,  .  . 
he  shut  up" many  of  the  saints  in  prisons'  (Acts  2G  :  9,  10).  "Women 
also  suffered,  a  fact  three  times  repeated  as  a  great  aggravation  of 
his  cruelty  (Acts  9:  2;  22:  4).  Stephen  was  not  the  only  one  who 
suffered  death  (Acts  22:  4:  26:  10).  Paul  'persecuted  the  Church 
beyond  measure'  (Gal.  1:  13),  and  used  every  effort  to  make  the  Chris- 
tians blaspheme  that  Holy  Name  whereby  they  were  called  (Acts  26  : 
11).  His  fame  as  an  inquisitor  was  notorious  far  and  wide;  Ananias 
of  Damascus  had  heard  how  much  evil  he  had  done  to  the  saints  at 
Jerusalem  (Acts  9:  13-21:  see  Phil.  3:  G;  1  Tim.  1:  13;  1  Cor.  15:  9). 

Ver.  4.  They  therefore  that  were  scattered  abroad  went 
about  preaching  the  ■word.  The  immediate  result  of  the  perse- 
cution \\as  the  fulfilment  of  the  Saviour's  words:  'Ye  shall  be  my  wit- 


8:  5-9.]  ACTS  VIII.  99 

Chapter  8:  5-13. 
Philip  preaches  in  Samaria. 

5  about  preaching  the  word.  And  Philip  went  down 
to  the  city  of  Samaria,  and  proclaimed  unto  them  the 

6  Christ.  And  the  multitudes  gave  heed  with  one  ac- 
cord unto  the  things  that  were  spoken  by  Philip,  when 

7  they  heard,  and  saw  the  signs  which  he  did.  ^For 
from  many  of  those  which  had  unclean  spirits,  they 
came  out,  crying  with  a  loud  voice:  and  many  that 

8  were  palsied,  and  that  were  lame,  were  healed.  And 
there  was  much  joy  in  that  city. 

9  But  there  was  a  certain  man,  Simon  by  name,  which 
beforetime  in  the  city  used  sorcery,  and  amazed  the 
^people  of  Samaria,  giving  out  that  himself  was  some 

1  Or,  For  many  of  those  which  had  uncleun  xjnrits  that  cried  with  a  loud  voice  came  forth. 
2  Gr.  nation. 

nesses  both  in  Jerusalem  and  in  all  Judaea  and  Samaria'  (chap.  1 :  8). 
Tertullian's  famous  saying:  'The  blood  of  the  martyrs  is  the  seed  of 
the  Church,'  is  first  exemplified  in  the  conduct  of  these  early  mission- 
aries. Some  of  them  carried  the  message  as  fiir  as  Phcenice,  and  Cy- 
prus, and  Antioch  (Acts  IT:  19).  Some  probably  travelled  even  to 
Rome,  for  Rom.  16  :  7  makes  mention  of  Andronicus  and  Junias,  who 
were  in  Christ  before  Paul's  own  conversion.  An  account  of  the  ac- 
tivity of  one  of  these  refugees  is  given  in  the  following  verses. 

Philip  preaches  in  Samaria,  vers.  5-13. 

Ver.  5.  And  Philip.  The  second  name'd  in  the  list  of  the  seven 
deacons  (Acts  6:  5).  He  is  called  the  evangelist  (Acta  21:  8),  and 
had  four  daughters,  who  prophesied. — "Went  down  to  the  city 
of  Samaria.  Built  originally  by  King  Omri,  father  of  Ahab,  Samaria 
remained  the  chief  city  of  Israel  while  that  kingdom  endured.  In  b.  c. 
710,  Shalmaneser,  king  of  Assyria,  took  it  after  a  two  years'  siege,  and 
razed  it  to  the  ground.  It  never  regained  its  old  importance  until  the 
days  of  Herod  the  Great,  who  restored  its  splendor,  changing  its  name 
to  Sebaste,  the  Greek  equivalent  of  Augusta,  in  honor  of  the  Roman 
Emperor  Coesar  Augustus ;  the  new  city  was,  however,  still  often  called 
Samaria. 

Ver.  6.  And  the  multitudes  gave  heed  with  one  accord. 
The  visit  of  Christ  in  the  neighboring  city  of  Sychar  (John  4)  helps  us 
to  understand  the  warm  welcome  which  Philip  received  among  these 
Samaritans. 

Ver.  9.  Simon  by  name,  which  beforetime  in  the  city 
used   sorcery.     We  have  here  a  description  of  the  first  collision 


100  ACTS  VIII.  [8:  10-12. 

10  great  one :  to  whom  they  all  gave  hee:l,  from  the  least 
to  the  greatest,  saying,  This  man  is  that  power  of  God 

11  which  is  called  Great.  And  they  gave  heed  to  him, 
because  that  of  long  time  he  had  amazed  them  w^ith 

12  his  sorceries.  But  when  they  believed  Philip  preach- 
ing good  tidings  concerning  the  kingdom  of  God  and 
t]ie  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  they  were  baptized,  both 

between  the  imposture  in  the  outside  world,  and  the  single-heartedness 
of  the  followers  of  Jesus.  Simon  is  commonly  called  Simon  Magus,  or 
the  magician.  Magicians  were  not  uncommon  in  this  period.  In  Acts 
13:  8  we  have  an  account  of  another  one,  a  certain  Elymas.  Their 
power  seems  to  have  been  derived  from  an  advanced  knowledge  of 
natural  philosophy,  especially  of  chemistry.  Simon  was  impressed  with 
the  miracles  of  Philip,  and  sought  to  purchase  a  similar  power.  It  is 
probable  that  he  afterwards  used  his  iniluence  against  the  Church.  He 
early  came  to  be  known  as  the  founder  of  the  heresy  called  Gnosticism 
and  was  regarded  as  the  Archheretic,  '  the  open  enemy  of  the  Apostles, 
inspired,  it  would  seem,  by  the  spirit  of  evil,  to  countermine  the  work 
of  the  Saviour,  end  to  found  a  school  of  error  in  opposition  to  the 
Church  of  God.' — Giving  out  ihat  himself  was  some  great  one. 
According  to  Justin  Martyr,  Simon  pretended  that  he  was  God,  above 
all  principality  and  power.  Jerome  relates  that  he  said,  '  I  am  the  Son 
of  God,'  '  the  Paraclete,'  '  the  Almighty,'  etc.  Such  bold  assertions  as 
these  were  no  doubt  made  subsequently  to  his  collision  with  Peter  and 
Philip.  Exasperated  by  his  repulse,  and  the  exposure  he  had  suffered 
at  the  hands  of  these  believers  in  Christ,  envious  too  of  their  powers 
and  also  of  the  consideration  which  they  enjoyed  with  so  many  of  the 
people,  he  endeavored,  by  assuming  these  titles,  to  win  something  of  the 
power  they  possessed,  and  which  he  coveted. 

Ver.  10.  To  vrhom  they  all  gave  heed.  Men  in  that  age  were 
peculiarly  liable  to  be  deluded  by  the  pretensions  of  false  prophets,  as 
Neander  well  observes  :  '  At  that  time  an  indefinite  longing  after  a  new 
voice  from  heaven — a  strange,  restless  feeling  in  men's  minds,  such  as 
usually  goes  before  mighty  changes  in  the  history  of  men,  was  spread 
abroad;  this  vague,  anxious  feeling  bewildered  and  deceived  many' 
(from  Neander's  Planting,  vol.  i.). 

Ver.  12.  But  when  they  believed  Philip  .  .  .  they  were 
baptized,  both  men  and  women.  'Philip,'  as  Bishop  Lightfoot 
observes  [Galatians,  Dissertation  iii.),  'carried  into  practice  the  doctrine 
which  Stephen  preached  and  for  which  he  died.'  '  Stephen  was  the 
first  to  look  steadfastly  to  the  end  of  that  which  is  abolished,  to  sound 
the  death-knell  of  the  Mosaic  ordinances  and  the  Temple  worship,  and 
to  claim  for  the  Gospel  unfettered  liberty  and  universal  rights.  Philip, 
by  preaching  to  and  then  baptizing  a  number  of  Samaritans  who  be- 
lieved, was  the  founder  of  the  earliest  Gentile  congregation. 


8:  13,  14.]  ACTS  VIII.  101 

13  men  and  women.  And  Simon  also  himself  believed  : 
and  being  baptized,  he  continued  with  Philip ;  and 
beholding  signs  and  great  ^miracles  wrought,  he  was 
amazed. 

Chapter  8 :  14-25. 
The   Visit  of  Peter  and  John  to  Samaria. 

14  Xow  when  the  apostles  which  were  at  Jerusalem 
heard  that  Samaria  had  received  the  word  of  God,  they 

1  Gr.  poicers. 

Ver,  13,     Simon  also  himself  believed :  and  being  baptized. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  assume  that  he  was  simply  moved  by  the  persua- 
sion that  Philip  Avas  a  greater  magician  than  himself,  though  no  (h.uht 
this  thought  influenced  him.  He  may  have  accepted  the  fact  that 
Philip's  Master  was  in  some  way  or  other  the  long-looked-for  Messiah. 
*The  narrative  which  follows  this  verse  seems  plainly  to  indicate,  that 
his  faith  was  not  genuine  and  according  to  knowledge.  He  was  simply 
wonder-struck  by  the  miracles.  His  ulterior  purpose  was  to  get  the 
power  of  working  miracles  by  baptism,  and  he  did  not  understand  its 
nature.     It  did  not  influence  his  life  or  change  his  heart. 

♦Practical  Xotes. — Persecution  scattered  the  Church  and  produced  much  sufTerinj, 
but  it  flid  not  dampen  the  ardor  of  the  early  Christians.  God  had  in  His  wise  provi- 
dence kept  them  together  in  Jerusalem  until  manj'  had  become  strung  in  tlie  faith. 
Though  they  were  driven  from  Jerusalem,  they  carried  the  Gospel  with  them.  - '  There 
isthat  scattereth and  yet  increaseth  '  Persecution  dispersed  the  Church  of  Jerusal  m, 
but  churches  in  Samaria,  Antioch,  Cj-prus  and  other  places  (Acts  11 :  10)  sprung  up 
from  the  seed  planted  by  believers.  — Like  Simon  many  arc  wonder-struck  at  the  proofs 
of  divine  power,  but  do  not  feel  the  energy  of  a  divine  life.  The  people,  as  after  the 
cure  of  the  paralytic  (Mark  2 :  12).  were  often  amazed  bej-ond  measure  at  Christ'a 
mighty  works,  but  only  those  who  believed  with  the  heart  had  everlasting  life. — The 
true  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  like  Philip,  directs  men's  attention  away  from  himself  to 
Christ  (ver.  5).  The  shrewd  worldling,  like  Simon,  practises  his  arts  to  win  ajjplause  for 
himself.  A  striking  contrast  also  presents  itself  between  Simon  and  Saul  of  Tarsus.  The 
former  went  with  the  crowd  and  followed  a  course  of  policy.  The  latter  was  a  man  of 
deep  convictions,  persecuted  the  Church,  but  thinking  thereby  to  glorify  God.  It  was 
a  matter  of  conviction  with  him.  Sim  )n  became  an  insincere  and  unreliable  professor. 
Paul  became  a  flaming  and  intrepid  preacher. 

The    Visit  of  Peter  and  John  to  Samaria,  vers.  14-25. 

Ver.  14.  Now  when  the  apostles,  etc.  The  work  of  Philip  in 
Samaria,  and  the  subsequent  approval  of  it  by  the  Apostles,  signified  a 
complete  breaking  down  of  the  old  barriers  of  religious  prejudice.  It 
may  have  cost  a  struggle  to  concede  that  even  the  Samaritan  had  a 
right  to  the  kingdom  of  heaven.     '  He  who  eats  the  bread  of  a  Samari- 


102  ACTS  VIII.  [8:  15-18. 

15  sent  unto  them  Peter  and  John  :  who,  when  they  were 
come  down,  prayed  for  them,  that  they  might  receive 

16  the  Holy  Ghost :  for  as  yet  *  he  was  fallen  upon  none  of 
them :  only  they  had  been  baptized  into  the  name  of 

17  the  Lord  Jesus.     Then  laid  they  their  hands  on  them, 

18  and  they  received  the  Holy  Ghost.  Now  when  Simon 
saw  that  through  the  laying  on  of  the  apostles^  hands 
the  ^Holy  Ghost  was  given,  he  oifered  them  money, 

*  For  '  he  was  fallen '  read  *  it  was  fallen.' — Am.  Com.  l  Some  ancient  authorities 
omit  Hull/. 

tan,'  says  the  Talmud,  'is  as  one  who  eats  swine's  flesh.  This  accursed 
people  shall  have  no  part  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.'  To  be  a 
Samaritan,  in  the  eyes  of  an  austere  Jew,  was  to  have  a  devil  (John  8: 
48)  — They  sent  unto  them  Peter  and  John.  In  accordance 
with  the  Master's  first  mission,  when  he  sent  the  Twelve  forth  two  by 
two  (Mark  6:  7),  the  Apostles  often  labored  together  in  pairs  as  Peter 
and  John  in  the  Temple  (Acts  3:1);  Paul  and  Barnabas  (Acts  13:  2) 
preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles ;  and  later  Paul  and  Silas  (Acts 
15:  4U),  and  Barnabas  and  Mark  (Acts  15:  37).  This  is  the  last  men- 
tion of  John  in  the  Acts. 

Vcr.  16.  As  yet  he  was  fallen  upon  none  of  them.  It  has 
been  often  asked  whether  this  was  owing  to  any  defect  in  the  faith  of 
the  Samaritans.  Nothing,  however,  in  the  history  would  lead  us  to 
suppose  th.it  this  was  the  case.  The  opinion  of  Chrysostom,  followed 
by  many  modern  commentators,  supplies  the  most  probable  answer: 
'Philip  could  not  bestow  tlie  Holy  Ghost,  because  he  was  not  an  apos- 
tle.' Tlie  plain  truth  seems  to  be  :  none  but  tlie  Apostles  were  empow- 
ered to  bestow  this  mighty  gift.  *The  whole  passage  would  lead  us  to 
suppose  that  the  impartation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  this  case  as  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  was  something  diffei^ent  from  the  new  birth.  Many 
suppose  this  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  only  communicated  at  the  lay- 
ing on  of  the  Apostles'  liands.  Others,  basing  their  opinion  upon 
1  Tim.  4:  14  give  it  a  wider  application.  A  part  of  the  Christian 
Church  derives  the  rite  of  confirmation  from  this  incident  and  holds 
that  the  bishop  alone  can  confirm.  Others  regard  this  case  of  the  Sa- 
maritans as  altogether  peculiar,  and  the  methods  practised  as  no  more 
obligatory  upon  us  than  the  Apostles'  example  of  going  in  pairs  is. 

*  Ver.  17.  Then  laid  they  their  hands  on  them.  The  laying 
on  of  hands  was  a  frequent  practice  in  the  Old  Testament  (Gen.  48:  14; 
Numb.  27:  18).  The  mothers  brought  their  children  to  Christ  that  he 
might  lay  his  bands  on  them  (Matt.  19 :  13).  The  custom  was  obsei^ved 
extensively  in  the  Apostolic  Church  and  has  been  ever  since.  But  the 
impartation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  not  exclusively  connected  therewith, 
as  the  cases  of  the  Ethiopian  eunuch  and  Cornelius  show  (10:  44). 

Ver.  18.     When  Simon  saw  that  through  the  laying  on  of 


8:  10-23.]  ACTS  VIII.  103 

19  saving,  Give  me  also  this  power,  that  on  whomsoever 

20  I  lay  my  hands,  he  may  receive  the  Holy  Ghost.  But 
Peter  said  unto  him,  Thy  silver  perish  with  thee,  be- 
cause thou  hast  thought  to  obtain  the  gift  of  God  with 

21  money.     Thou  hast  neither  part  nor  lot  in  this  ^  matter : 

22  for  thy  heart  is  not  right  before  God.  Repent  there- 
fore of  this  thy  wickedness,  and  pray  the  Lord,  if 
perhaps  the  thought  of  thy  heart  shall  be  forgiven  thee. 

23  For  I  see  that  thou  ^art  in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and 

1  Gr.  uord.    -  Or,  wilt  become  gall  (or,  a  gall  root)  of  hittemess  and  a  bond  <jf  iniquity. 

the  apostles'  hands,  etc.  The  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  were  in  this 
case  i>lainly  visible.  Outward  miraculous  gifts  of  some  kind  or  other 
were  plainly  bestowed.  The  covetofisness  of  Simon  was  excited  by  the 
sight  of  this  strange  i)ower. — He  offered  them  money.  His  heart 
remained  unchanged,  even  though  he  had  been  baptized.  He  simply 
looked  on  John  and  Peter  as  magicians  far  superior  to  himself,  and 
more  deeply  versed  in  the  secrets  of  the  craft  even  than  Philip.  He 
supposed  the  secret  of  these  men,  like  everything  else  Simon  knew  of 
in  this  world,  was  to  be  purchased  with  guld  and  silver. — *  It  is  evi- 
dent from  this  that  Simon  had  not  genuine  faith.  His  name  and  pro- 
position have  given  the  word  simoni/  to  our  language  which  refers  to 
the  corrupt  practice  of  buying  or  selling  positions  in  the  Church.  It 
reached  monstrous  proportions  in  the  Middle  Ages. 

Ver.  20.  Thy  silver  perish  with  thee.  This  is  no  curse,  for 
in  ver.  22  the  apostle  exhorted  the  magician  to  I'epentance.  It  is 
merely  an  expression  of  the  strong  abhorrence  which  an  honest,  right- 
eous man  would  feel  at  such  a  miserable  misconception  of  God's  ways 
of  working.  The  corruptible  nature  of  gold  and  silver  seems  to  have 
been  ever  in  Peter's  mind,  and  to  have  entered  continually  into  his 
arguments.     (See  1  Pet.  1:  17,  18.) 

Yer.  21.  Thou  hast  neither  part  nor  lot  in  this  matter. 
More  accurately  rendered  'in  this  word'  (as  in  the  margin),  that  is, 
in  the  word  or  doctrine  which  teaches  the  way  and  manner  of  the  inward 
and  outward  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  (ver.  1-4). 

Ver.  22.  If  perhaps  the  thought  of  thy  heart  shall  be  for- 
given thee.  The  words  'if  perhaps'  were  uttered  owing  to  the  very 
grave  character  of  the  sin.  The  apostle  doubtless  spoke  them  to  stir 
up  feelings  of  repentance  in  Simon's  heart.  Alford's  comment  here  is 
a  weighty  one:  'This  verse  is  important  taken  in  connection  with  .John 
2U:  2^:  "Whose  soever  sins  ye  forgive,  they  are  forgiven  unto  them," 
etc.,  as  showing  how  completely  the  Apostles  themselves  referred  the 
forgiveness  of  sins  to.  and  left  it  in  the  sovereign  power  of  God,  and 
not  to  any  power  of  absolution  delegated  to  them.' 

Ver.  28.     For  I  see  that  thou  art  in  the  gall  of  bitterness 


104  ACTS  VIII.  [S :  24,  25. 

24  in  the  bond  of  iniquity.  And  Simon  answered  and 
said,  Pray  ye  for  me  to  the  Lord,  that  none  of  the 
things  which  ye  have  spoken  come  upon  me. 

25  They  therefore,  when  they  had  testified  and  spoken 
the  word  of  the  Lord,  returned  to  Jerusalem,  and 
preached  the  gospel  to  many  villages  of  the  Samaritans. 

and  in  the  bond  of  iniquity.  Peter  did  not  doubt  that  God 
would  grant  pardon  to  every  really  penitent  sinner,  no  matter  Low 
deeply  he  might  have  sinned,  but  he  knew  that  Simon's  heart  was 
full  of  bitter  hate  for  the  Gospel,  and  that  his  life  was  bound  by 
iniquity  as  by  an  iron  chain. 

Ver.  24.  Pray  ye  for  me  to  the  Loid.  So  Pharaoh  entreated 
Moses  to  intercede  for  him  (Ex.  8:  29,  9:  28,  10:  17),  and  yet 
hardened  his  heart  afterwards.  Bengel  observes  here  :  '  He  confesses 
his  fear  of  punishment,  not  horror  of  guilt.'  The  history  of  the  Acts 
never  refers  again  to  Simon's  life  and  conduct. 

Ver.  25.  They  .  .  .  returned  to  Jerusalem.  That  is,  .John 
and  Peler,  leaving  Philip  to  pursue  his  work  alone. — And  preached 
the  gospel  to  many  villages  of  the  Samaritans.  They  pro- 
bably recalled  hoAV  their  jNIaster,  looking  forward  to  such  an  hour  as 
this,  had  beheld  these  very  fields  of  Samaria  'white  already  unto  har- 
vest' (.John  4:  35).  'The  same  John,'  be  it  remembered,  'who  once 
wished  for  fire  to  come  down  from  heaven  to  consume  these  very  peo- 
ple (Luke  9:  54),  now  preached  to  them  the  Gospel  of  peace.  He  had 
since  that  time  learned  much  in  the  school  of  Christ.  Then  he  knew 
not  what  spirit  he  was  of,  but  now  he  was  actuated  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
It  was  a  different  kind  of  fire  which  he  now  prayed  might  descend 
from  heaven  upon  these  Samaritans — the  fire  of  the  Holy  Ghost'  (Gloag). 

*  Practical  Notfs.— The  Gospel  obliterates  national  prejudices.  The  Jews  and 
Samaritans  had  no  dealings  together  (John  4 :  9).  This  was  the  result  of  human 
pride  and  jealousy.  The  Apostles  went  up  freely  to  Samaria  to  carry  the  Gospel, 
Surely  Christ  breaks  down  the  partition  walls  of  prejudice  and  brings  men  together 
in  love.— Baptism  doe=;  not  confer  forgiveness  or  salvation.  It  is  only  an  outward 
sign,  though  a  very  solemn  ordinance,  and  obligatory  upon  Christ's  disciples.— Men 
may  have  the  ou^jvard  badges  of  Christ's  religion  and  yet  be  far  from  the  kingdom. 
The  outward  profession  is  compatible  with  an  unregenerate  heart.  -Religion  comes 
by  repentance.  God's  pardon  and  Spirit  cannot  be  bought  for  gifts  of  money  (ver.  18) 
to  the  church  or  in  charity.  We  are  redeemed  with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ,  and 
not  with  corruptible  things.  Eternal  life  is  a  free  gift.— Sincerity  of  heart  is  an  indis- 
pensable condition  of  acceptance  with  God.  They  whose  hearts  are  not  right,  may 
make  their  prayers  ever  so  long,  and  their  professions  ever  so  loud,  and  yet  not  receive 
the  divine  pardon.  God  dwells  with  him  who  is  of  an  humble  and  contrite  heart.— A 
I)reacher  bears  not  only  the  scourge  of  the  Law,  but  the  olive  branch  of  the  Gospel. 
Sin  must  be  severely  rebuked  and  repentance  urged,  but  God  will  forgive  even  the 
most  hypoci  itical  and  hardened  if  they  will  but  repent  and  turn  unto  Him  (ver.  22). 


S:  26,  27.]  ACTS  VIII.  105 

Chapter  8:  26-40. 
Conversion  and  Baptism  of  the  Ethiopian  Eunuch. 

26  But  an  angel  of  the  Lord  spake  unto  Philip,  saying, 
Arise,  and  go  Howard  the  south  unto  the  way  that 
goeth  down  from  Jerusalem  unto  Gaza :  the  same  is 

27  desert.  And  he  arose  and  went :  and  behold,  a  man 
of  Ethiojiia,  a  eunuch  of  great  authority  under  Can- 
dace,  queen  of  the  Ethiopians,  who  was  over  all  her 
treasure,  who  had  come  to  Jerusalem  for  to  worship ; 

1  Or,  at  noon. 
Conversion  and  Baptism  of  the  Ethiopian  Eunuch,  vers.  26-40. 

Ver.  26.  An  angel  of  the  Lord  spake  unto  Philip.  Among 
the  strange  and  supernatural  manifestations  Avhicli  accompanied  the 
laying  of  the  first  stones  of  the  Chi-istian  ("hurch,  the  visible  mani- 
festation of  angels  is  not  the  least  remarkable.  For  other  instances  of 
this  visible  ministering  on  the  part  of  angels  in  these  first  days,  see 
Acts  1:  10,  5:  10,  10:  3,  12:  7,  27:  23.  — Unto  the  way  that 
goeth  down  from  Jerusalem  unto  Gaza.  Gaza  was  one  of  the 
oldest  cities  in  the  wcrld,  and  is  mentioned  with  Sodom  and  the  cities 
of  the  plain  before  their  destruction  (Gen,  10:  19).  It  was  the  chief 
city  of  the  Philistines,  and  in  later  years  was  (  f  great  importance  as 
a  frontier  fortress.  It  was  the  scene  of  Samson's  crowning  feat  of 
strength  when  he  pulled  down  the  temple  (-Tudg.  16:  21-31).  It  still 
exists  under  the  changed  name  of  Ghuzzeh,  and  contains  a  population 
of  about  15,000. — The  same  is  desert.  S.ome  suppose  the  words 
refer  to  the  deserted  state  of  Gaza,  as  though  it  were  uninhabited.  In 
this  case  the  expression  might  have  been  inserted  by  Luke  after  C5 
A.  D.,  when  the  city  was  laid  waste.  But  the  words  seem  more  likely 
to  refer  to  '  the  way.'  Thei^e  were  several  roads  which  led  to  Gaza, 
and  the  angel  carefully  directed  Philip  to  choose  that  particular  road 
which,  after  passing  Hebron,  led  through  a  desolate,  solitary  country. 
In  other  words,  he  said,  '  Go  to  Gaza  by  the  desert  road.' 

Ver.  27.  A  man  of  Ethiopia.  He  was  not  a  Jew  who  lived  in 
Ethiopia,  but  probably  a  heathen  convert  to  Judaism,  and  now  was 
returning  home  from  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem.  There  were  at  this 
time  many  Jews  in  Ethiopia.  *The  name  Ethiopia  was  given  to  the 
country  south  of  Egypt,  which  is  now  called  Nubia  and  Abyssinia. 
The  northern  portion  was  the  great  kingdom  of  Meroe.  Israel  had 
long  before  expected  the  time  when  Ethiopia  should  '  stretch  out  her 
hands  unto  God'  (Ps.  68:  31).  —  Under  Candace,  queen  of  the 
Ethiopians.  Candace  was  the  oi'dinary  name  of  the  female  rulers 
of  Meroe.  Eusebius,  H.  E  ii.  1,  writing  some  three  hundred  years 
later,  tells  us  that  in  his  day  the  custom  still  prevailed  in  Ethiopia  of 


lOG  ACTS  VIII.  [8:  28-33. 

28  and  he  was  returning  and  sitting  in  liis  chariot,  and 

29  was  reading  the  proj)het  Isaiah.     And  the  Spirit  said 
unto  Philip,  Go  near,  and  join  thyself  to  this  chfiriot. 

30  And  Philip  ran  to  him,  and  heard  him  reading  Isaiah 
the  prophet,  and  said,  Understandest  thou  what  thou 

31  readest?     And  he  said.  How  can  I,  except  some  one 
shall  guide  me?     ^nd  he  besought  Philip  to  come  up 

32  and  sit  with   him.     Now  the  place  of  the  scripture 
which  he  was  reading  was  this, 

He  Avas  led  as  a  sheep  to  the  slaughter ; 
And  as  a  lamb  before  his  shearer  is  dumb, 
So  he  openeth  not  his  mouth  : 

33  In  his  humiliation  his  judgement  was  taken  away  : 

the  supreme  power  being  held  by  a  female  ruler.  The  title  Candace 
was  the  customary  title  of  the  sovereign,  as  Pharaoh  had  been  in 
Egypt,  and  Coesar  continued  to  be  in  Rome. 

Ver.  28.  "Was  readirg  the  prophet  Isaiah.  He  was  reading 
aloud  (\er.  30).  The  scriptures  he  ^vas  reading  Avere  the  Greek  (LXX) 
version  of  the  0.  Test.,  well  known  tliroughout  Egypt  and  the  adjactnt 
countries.  It  was  a  maxim  of  the  Kabbis,  that  one  who  was  on  a  jour- 
ney and  Avithout  a  companion,  should  busy  himself  in  the  study  of  the 
LaAv. 

Ver.  30.  Understandest  thou  what  thou  readest  ?  He  was 
reading  in  the  oOd  chapter  of  Isaiah.  So  clear  is  the  correspondence 
between  the  prophecy  in  this  chapter  and  the  history  of  the  Passion, 
that  Ave  seem  rather  to  be  reading  a  history  of  the  past  than  a  pre- 
diction of  something  which  was  to  take  place  in  the  far  future.  Jews 
in  modern  times  have  tried  to  refer  its  prediction  to  some  other  per- 
son than  the  Messiah,  but  the  older  Jewish  commentators  referred  it 
to  him. 

*Ver.  31.  Except  some  one  shall  guide  me.  A  candid  and 
modest  reply.  Perhaps  this  was  a  strange  passage  to  him,  ani  the 
more  he  was  struck  with  its  beauty,  the  more  inexplicable  did  it  seem. 
The  same  word  'guide'  was  use-d  liy  our  Lord  for  the  blind  guides 
(Luke  G  :  30),  and  for  the  Holy  Spirit  as  he  leads  us  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  truth  (John  16:   13). 

Ver.  32.  The  place  of  the  scripture  which  he  w^as  read- 
ing "was  this,  etc.  The  whole  passage  (vers.  32,  33)  is  taken  almost 
verbatim  from  the  LXX.  version  of  Isa.  -53  :  7,  8 ;  the  whole  of  the 
section  is  minutely  descriptive  of  the  circumstances  of  the  Lord's  suf- 
fering and  death. 

Ver  33.  In  his  humiliation  his  judgement  was  taken 
away.     The  Greek  version  of  the  LXX.  translates  this  passage  with 


8 :  34-36.]  ACTS  YIII.  107 

His  generation  wlio  shall  declare  ? 
For  his  life  is  taken  from  the  earth. 

34  And  the  eunuch  answered  Philip,  and  said,  I  pray 
thee,  of  whom  speaketh  the  prophet  this  ?  of  himself, 

35  or  of  some  other?     And   Philip   opened   his  mouth, 
and  beginning  from  this  scripture,  preached  unto  him 

3G  Jesus.     And  as  they  went  on  the  way,  they  came  unto 
a  certain  water ;  and  the  eunuch  saith.  Behold,  here  is 

great  freedom.  The  literal  rendering  of  the  Hebrew  would  be :  'By 
oppression  and  a  judicial  sentence  he  was  dragged  to  punishment.' 
The  words  here  mean:  'In  his  humiliation  the  riglit  to  justice  and 
humanity  were  withheld  from  him.'  Gloag  thus  enlarges,  it:  'Jesus 
appeared  in  a  form  so  humble,  a  man  so  poor,  that  Pilate,  though  con- 
vinced of  his  innocence,  thought  it  not  worth  while  to  hazard  anything 
to  preserve  his  life.' — *  His  generation  -who  shall  declare? 
This  has  been  explained  in  different  ways.  1).  (.»f  tlie  durutii  n  of  his 
life.  '  Who  can  measure  that,  seeing  he  is  passed  from  earth  into  the 
heavens'  (Luther,  Calvin,  Bengel,  etc.).  2).  Of  the  number  of  his 
spiritual  followers,  born  into  the  kingdom  i:)y  his  word.  3).  Of  his 
divine  pedigree  as  escaping  the  skill  of  man  to  understand  it  4).  Of 
his  perverse  and  blind  contemporaries  who  put  him  to  death, — 'Who 
shall  declare  their  wickedness  !  ' — For  his  life  is  taken  from  the 
earth.  That  is  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  the  ascension  to  the  right 
hand  of  the  Father  being  referred  to.  And  thus,  though  as  far  as 
man's  eye  could  see  his  life  was  poor  and  humble,  its  beginning  and 
end  were  alike  incomprehensible.  This  is  best  described  in  his  own 
words:  '  I  came  out  from  the  Father,  and  am  come  into  the  world; 
again,  I  leave  the  world,  and  go  unto  the  Father'  (John  16  :  28). 

Yer.  35.  And  Philip  opened  his  mouth.  An  Oriental  ex- 
pression which  occurs  ordinarily  before  grave  and  weighty  words  (see 
Acts  10:  34;  Job  3:  1). — And  beginning  from  this  scripture, 
preached  unto  him  Jesus  Philip  showed  the  marvellous  cor- 
respondence between  the  many  descriptions  of  the  Messiah  of  the 
prophets  and  the  life  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  beginning  his  inspired 
teaching  with  an  exposition  of  the  passage  of  Isaiah  which  the 
Ethiopian  was  then  reading. 

Ver.  36.  A  certain  water.  Eusebius  and  Jerome  point  out  as 
the  scene  of  this  baptism  a  fountain  near  Beth-sur.  now  a  village, 
Beth-coron,  not  far  from  Hebron,  and  twenty  miles  south  of  Jerusalem. 
—  Behold,  here  is  water;  what  doth  hinder  me  to  be 
baptized?  A  proof,  says  Wordsworth,  'that  Philip,  in  preaching 
Jesus,  had  preached  the  necessity  of  baptism.  Luke  implies  that 
Philip  preached  not  only  what  is  to  be  believed  concerning  Christ,  but 
what  is  to  be  done  by  those  who  are  joined  to  the  unity  of  the  body  of 


108  ACTS  VIII.  [8:  38-40. 

33  water;  what  doth  hinder  me  to  be  baptized?^  And 
he  commanded  the  chariot  to  stand  still :  and  they 
both  went  down  into  the  water,  both  Philip  and  the 

3D  eunuch  ;  and  he  baptized  him.  And  when  they  came 
up  out  of  the  water,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  caught 
away  Philip ;  and  the  eunuch  saw  him  no  more,  for 

40  he  went  on  his  way  rejoicing.  But  Philip  was  found 
at  Azotus :  and  passing  through  he  preached  the  gos- 
pel to  all  the  cities,  till  he  came  to  C^esarea. 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  insert,  wholly  or  in  part,  ver.  37.  And  Philip  Said,  If 
thou  he/iei:est  with  all  thi/  heart,  thou  inciijesl.  And  he  answereJ,  and  said,  I  believe  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God. 

Christ,  and  so  preached  to  him  the  main  points  of  Christian  faith  and 
duty.'  *(Ver.  37  is  omitted  in  the  Revised  Version  (though  placed  in 
the  margin),  for  the  reason  that  the  oldest  manuscripts  do  not  contain 
it.  The  words  were  inserted  by  some  copyist  to  serve  the  purpose 
of  edification,  and  they  may  have  been  a  part  of  a  very  ancient  bap- 
tismal formula). 

Ver.  38.  And  he  baptized  him.  The  comment  of  Gregory  Na- 
zianzen  (d.  390),  quoted  by  Wordsworth,  is  curious  and  interesting: 
*  Let  me  be  a  Philip,  and  be  thou  a  minister  of  Candace,  Though  an 
Ethiop  in  body,  be  thou  pure  in  heart.  Man  looketh  on  the  face,  but 
God  on  the  heart.  Any  minister  can  cleanse  you  by  baptism  if  he  is 
not  alien  from  the  Church.  One  minister  may  be  of  gold,  another  of 
iron,  but  they  are  both  like  rings  which  have  the  seal  of  Christ.  Let 
them  stamp  on  thee,  who  art  the  wax,  the  image  of  the  great  King ; 
there  may  be  a  difference  in  the  metal,  there  is  none  in  the  seal.' 

Ver.  39.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  caught  away  Philip. 
Instances  of  a  similar  miraculous  rapture  occur  in  the  history  of  Elijah 
(1  Kings  18:  12;  2  Kings  2:  11).  The  word  'caught  away'  is  also 
employed  of  Paul's  rapture  into  the  third  heaven  and  into  Paradise — 
'  caught  up  to  the  third  heaven,'  '  caught  up  into  Paradise,'  where  he 
heard  the  unspeakable  words  (2  Cor.  12:  2,  4).  The  same  word  is 
used  (1  Thess.  4  :  17)  in  the  description  of  the  Lord's  second  Advent, 
when  those  that  are  alive  and  are  left  shall  be  '  caught  up '  together  in 
the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air. —  He  •went  on  his  way 
rejoicing.  The  sudden  disappearance  of  Philip  seemed  to  the 
Ethiopian  eunuch  a  miraculous  assurance  that  the  message  he  had 
received  was  inlecd  from  heaven,  and  thus  strengthened,  he  went  on 
his  way  rejoicing.  There  is  a  tradition  that  this  minister  of  Candace, 
whose  name  was  Judich,  preached  the  Gospel  on  his  return  to  Ethiopia 
with  great  success,  and  that  his  royal  mistress  was  among  his  converts; 
but  we  pcs-e-ss  no  certain  records  of  the  conversion  of  any  number  of 
the  Ethiopians  until  the  reign  of  Constantine  (fourth  century). 

Ver.  40.     Philip  was  found  at  Azotus.     Azotus,  better  known 


9:  1.]  ACTS   IX.  109 

Chapter  9 :  1-9. 

The  Conversion  of  Paul. 

9  :  1     But  Saul,  yet  breathing  threateniDg  and  slaughter 
against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord,  went  unto  the  high 

as  Ashdod,  one  of  the  principal  Philistine  cities,  near  to  tlie  sea-coast. 
It  was  one  of  the  places  where  the  worship  of  Dagon  prevailed.  (1 
Sam.  5:  3). — Till  he  came  to  Caesarea.  Coesarea  became  Philip's 
home,  and  here,  after  some  twenty  years,  we  find  him  still,  when  Paul 
and  Luke,  the  writer  of  the  Acts,  were  welcomed  by  him  and  his  four 
prophet  daughters  (Acts  21 :  8).  Ciesarea,  distant  about  seventy  miles 
from  Jerusalem,  was  situated  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea, 
Herod  the  Great  adorned  it  with  marble  palaces,  and  provided  :t  with 
a  magnificent  harVjor.  In  the  midst  of  the  new  city  rose,  on  an  emi- 
nence, the  temple  of  Csesar,  with  statues  of  the  Emperor  and  of  Rome. 
He  named  it  after  the  Emperor  Augustus,  Cxsarea,  under  whose  mighty 
protection  he  placed  the  new  capital.  After  Herod's  death  the  city 
became  the  residence  of  the  Roman  governors.  Here  Pontius  Pilate, 
Felix,  and  Festus  held  their  '  courts.'  Here  Paul  was  subsequently 
tried  before  the  Roman  governor,  and  King  Agrippa,  and  the  infamous 
Princess  Bernice  (Acts  25:  6,  13).  It  has  been  for  several  centuries  a 
mere  heap  of  ruins.  A  few  fishers'  huts  now  occupy  the  site  of  the 
once  proud  capital. 

*  Practicai,  Notes. — Ethiopia  shall  stretch  out  her  hands  unto  God.— The  Word  of 
God  is  often  an  enigma.  But  to  the  diligent  reader  of  it  God  sends  His  messengers  of 
illumination.— Those  that  would  learn  must  be  willing  to  be  taught.  An  humbly 
prayerful  frame  of  mind  in  studying  God's  Word  and  works  attains  to  a  knowledge  of 
Him  —Jesus  was  the  center  of  Apostolic  preaching  (vei-s.  5,  35).  He  fulfilled  the 
prophecy  of  the  0.  T.  and  is  the  sum  of  the  N.  T.— Conversion  may,  so  far  as  human 
agency  is  concerned,  follow  upon  the  instruction  or  exhortation  of  a  moment.  But, 
as  was  the  case  with  the  Ethiopian  eunuch,  God  often  prepares  the  way  by  a  course 
of  education.  They  who  are  taught  God's  Word  and  brought  up  in  pious  homes  are 
more  apt  to  be  Chilstians  than  those  who  are  left  to  the  impressions  of  an  occasional 
sermon  —The  Gospel  is  a  source  of  joy  (ver.  39).  There  was  much  joy  in  the  city  of 
Samaria  when  it  heard  Philip  (ver.  S),  and  the  eunuch  '  went  on  his  way  rejoicing'  after 
h^had  heard  of  Christ.  The  Gospel  brings  'good  tidings  of  great  joy,'  and  was  not 
sent  to  make  men  gloomy  or  morose.  Christ  came  to  give  light  and  peace  and  glad- 
ness to  a  sinful  and  dying  world,  and  not  to  condemn  it.   It  was  condemned  already. 

The  Conversion  of  Saul,  vers.  1-9. 

Ver.  1.  But  Saul,  yet  breathing  threatening  and  slaugh- 
ter. The  narrative  is  here  taken  up  again  from  chap.  8 :  3,  where 
we  left  the  Pharisee  Saul  'laying  waste  the  Church.'  Some  months 
had  probably  elapsed  since  the  death  of  Stephen,  during  which  the 
work  of  persecution  had  been  actively  carried  on  in  the  city  and  ad't- 


110  ACTS  IX.  [9;  2,  3. 

2  priest,  and  asked  of  him  letters  to  Damascus  unto  the 
synagogues,  that  if  he  found  any  that  were  of  the 
Viax,  whether  men  or  women,  he  migiit  bring  them 

3  bound  to  Jerusalem.  And  as  he  journeyed,  it  came 
to  pass  that  he  drew  nigh  unto  Damascus :  and  sud- 
denly there  shone  round  about  him  a  light  out  of 

cent  districts.  *The  words  vividly  portray  the  intense  bitterness  and 
violence  of  Saul  towards  the  Christians.  The  strongest  language  is 
chosen  to  represent  this  persecuting  activity.  He  seems  to  have  been 
accessory  to  other  martyrdoms  than  that  of  Stephen  (Acts  26 :  10), 
was  fiercely  embittered  against  the  followers  of  Christ  (H)*,  and  iu 
seeking  to  crush  out  the  sect  bound  and  delivered  up  women  as  well 
as  men  (Acts  22  :  4).  Both  others  and  he  himself  spoke  of  this  per- 
secuting activity  as  a  '  making  havock  of  the  Church '  (Acts  9  :  21  ; 
Gal.  1 :  lo). — Went  unto  the  high  priest.  The  Sanhedrin 
claimed  and  exercised  over  the  Jews  in  foreign  countries  supreme 
power  in  religious  questions.  The  high  priest  fi'equently,  though  not 
invariably,  was  president  of  the  Sanhedrin. 

Ver.  2.  Letteis  to  Damascus  unto  the  synagogues.  The 
Jews  at  Damascus  were  so  numerous  that  10,000  could  be  executed  at 
one  time  under  Nero,  according  to  Josephus.  The  religion  of  Jesus 
had  probably  been  preached  by  individual  believers,  driven  away  from 
Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  the  persecution,  but  no  doubt  Damascus  Jews 
had  been  among  the  converts  on  the  first  Pentecost.— Of  the  Way. 
The  religion  of  Jesus  (Acts  19:  9;  22:  4;  24:  22).  It  became  soon 
a  well-known  and  loved  expression  in  the  early  Church.  It  was  the 
icai/ — the  way  that  leads  to  heaven,  as  Chrysostom  terms  it;  the  way, 
as  Bengel  says,  we  must  walk,  not  loiter  over.  *In  Acts  18:  25  it  is 
more  closely  defined  as  '  the  way  of  the  Lord,'  the  course  which  he 
marked  out.  Perhaps  in  the  use  of  the  expression  they  had  in  mind 
the  appellation  Christ  applied  to  himself,  "^the  way'  (John  14:  6)  and 
the  '  straitened  way,'  which  he  represented  as  alone  leading  to  heaven 
(Matt.  7 :   14). 

Ver.  3.  As  he  journeyed.  The  following  incident  of  Paul's 
conversion  is  related  twice  again  in  the  Acts,  in  both  cases  the  narra- 
tive being  a  report  of  Paul's  address  first  to  the  people  on  the  Temp)|^ 
stairs  (ch.  22),  arnd  then  to  King  Agrippa  (ch.  26).  These  accounts  agree 
in  presenting  the  main  features  of  the  scene — namely,  the  blinding 
light  of  glory  (Acts  9:  3;  22:  6;  26:  13);  the  voice  from  heaven 
(Acts  9:5;  22 :  8 ;  26 :  14) ;  the  appearance  of  a  glorified  form, 
seen  by  and  stamped  forever  on  Paul's  memory  (Acts  9 :  17  ;  22  :  14  ; 
26:  16).  See  Excursus. — Drew  nigh  unto  Damascus.  It  is 
one  of  the  oldest  cities  in  the  world,  was  a  place  of  importance  at  the 
time  of  Abraham  (Gen.  14:  15),  was  founded  before  Baalbec  and  Pal- 
myra ;  and  it  has  outlived  them  both.     "While  Babylon  is  a  heap  in 


9:  4.]  ACTS  IX.  Ill 

4  heaven :  and  he  fell  upon  the  earth,  and  heard  a  voice 
saying  unto  him,  Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me? 

the  desert  and  Tyre  a  ruin  on  the  shore,  it  remains  what  it  was  called 
i  1  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  '  the  head  of  Sjuia'  (Isa.  7  :  b).     It  reached 
its   highest  point  of  prosperity  in  the  golden  days  of  Mohammedan 
rule,  when  it  became   the  residence  of  the  Ommiad  Caliphs  and  the 
metropolis  of  the  Mohammedan  world.     It  is  still  a  great  and  impor- 
t.mt  city,  with  a  population  of  about  150,000.    *  The  beauty  and  love- 
liness of  its  site  have  attracted  the  eye  of  all  travellers.     The  plain  is 
well  watered  by  the  two  rivers  Par,  liar  and  Abana,  and  innumerable 
springs.     The  fresh  and  green  vegetation  forms  a  charming  setting  for 
the  venerable   town,  and  justifies   the   comparison  of  Damascus  to  a 
'  handful  of  pearls  in  a  goblet  of  emerald.'     It  is  also  called  the  '  Eje 
of  the  Desert'  and  the  'Pearl  of  the  East.'     For  an  interesting  descrip- 
tion seeSchaff,  Through  Bible  Lands. — Suddenly  there  shone  round 
about  him  a  light  out  of  heaven.    The  event  occurred  about  noon 
(Acts  22 :  6  ;  26  :  12)  in  the  full  glare  of  the  Oriental  sun  ;  but  the  splen- 
dor of  the  heavenly  light  outdazzled  even  the  bi'ightness  of  the  sun 
(Acts  26:  13).    The  light  was  the  Shekinah,  which  shone  round  Moses 
on  the  Mount,  rested  on  the  golden  mercy-seat  of  the  Ark,  filled  the 
Temple  on  the  dedication-morning,  shone  on  the  Mount  of  Transfigura- 
tion, and  years  after  was  seen  by  John  in  his  lonely  watch  at  Patmos 
encompassing  the  Son  of  man.    In  this  blinding  light,  Saul  perceived  the 
glorified  body  of  Jesus.     This  we  gather  from  the  words  of  Ananias: 
'Jesus,  who  a/:»/?ear^^  unto  thee  in  the  way '  (ver.  17);  and  of  Barnabas: 
'  he  (Saul)  had  sceii  the  Lord  in  the  way'  (ver.  27).    Paul  also  frequently 
aflSrms  and  emphasizes  that  he  had  seoi  Jesus  (22 :  14;  1  Cor.  9:1;  15: 
8).    This  dazzling  vision  suggests  a  rea.son  for  Saul's  subsequent  blind- 
ness, which  lasted  three  days,  until  the  visit  and  action  of  Ananias.    He 
appears  never  to  have  recovered  his  sight  as  before,  and  to  have  ever 
afterwards  sufi"ered  from  a  painful  disease  of  the  eyes.    It  was  probably 
due  to  this  partial  blindness  that  he  failed  to  recognize  the  high  priest 
when  he  addressed  him  in  the  council  (Acts  23:  5).     It  seems  to  be  al- 
luded to  also  in  Gal.  4:  13-15,  where  Paul  says  the  Galatians  'would 
have  plucked  out  their  very  eyes  and  given  them  to  him,'  and  in  Gal.  6 : 
11,  where  he  speaks  of  the  'large  letters'  in  which  he  had  written  the 
epistle.  At  other  times  he  employed  an  amanuensis.   *It  is  probable  that 
this  dimness  of  sight  was  the  '  thorn  in  the  flesh,'  against  which  the  apostle 
prayed  so  fervently  (2  Cor.  12 :  7).     So  Plumptre,  Farrar  I  Life  of  Paul). 
Ver.  4     Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me?    Chrysostom 
paraphrases  the  question  thus:   'What  wrong  great  or  small  hast  thou 
suffered  from  me,  that  thou  doest  these  things?'    The  Lord  here  seems 
to  recall  his  own  words:   'He  that  heareth  you  heareth  me;  and  he 
that  rejecteth  you  rejecteth  me'  (Luke  10:  16).     *In  persecuting  the 
followers  of  Christ,  Paul  was  not  animated   so   much  with  bitterness 
against  them  personally  as  against  their  doctrine  of  Christ,  which  he 
sought  to  sweep  out  of  the  world.     But  in  persecuting  them,  he  was 


112  ACTS  IX.  [9:  5-8. 

5  And  he  said,  AVho  art  thou.  Lord  ?     And  he  said,  I 

6  am  Jesus  whom  thou  persecutest :  but  rise,  and  enter 
into  the  city,  and  it  shall  be  told  thee  what  thou  must 

7  do.     And   the  men  that  journeyed  Avith  him  stood 
speechless,  hearing  the  ^  voice,  but  beholding  no  man. 

8  And  Saul  arose  from  the  earth ;  and  when  his  eyes 
were  opened,  he  saw  nothing ;  and  they  led  him  by  the 

1  Or,  sound. 

persecuting  Christ   (Matt.  25:   40).     Bengel  sententiously  remarks: 
'Jesus  knew  Saul  before  Saul  knew  Jesus.' 

Ver.  5.  Who  art  thou.  Lord?  For  a  moment,  perhaps,  he  may 
have  doubted  who  it  was ;  but  conscience  itself,  as  Bengel  remarks, 
must  have  whispered :  '  It  is  Jesus ;'  he  hardly  needed  the  reply  which 
quickly  came. — I  am  Jesna  "whom  thou  persecu  est.  'Why 
did  he  not  say,'  asks  Chrysostom,  'I  am  the  Son  of  God,  I  am  the 
Eternal  Word,  I  am  He  that  sitteth  on  the  Father's  right  hand,  that 
stretcheth  out  the  heavens?  Because  Saul  might  then  have  been  able 
to  reply,  The  object  of  my  persecution  was  a  different  one  from  this.' 
■^In  chap.  22:  8,  the  answer  is  reported  to  have  been:  'I  am  Jesus  of 
Nazareth.'  The  use  of  this  expression  is  sufficiently  explained  by  tbe 
f  ict  that  it  was  the  title  by  Avhich  Christ  was  generally  known.  If  it 
was  used  in  contempt,  its  sound,  ringing  in  Paul's  ears,  now  aroused 
him  as  by  a  peal  of  thunder  to  a  sense  of  his  error  and  the  divine  ex- 
altation of  the  one  he  had  been  persecuting,  and  revealed  to  him  his 
own  littleness. 

Ver.  7.  The  men  that  journeyed  with  him  stood  speech- 
Jess.  In  chap.  2G  :  14  Paul  saj^s  tliey  all  fell  to  the  earth.  It  must  be 
bDrne  in  mind,  that  the  fact,  which  it  was  especially  desired  that  this 
narration  should  impress  was  not  that  the  'men  stood'  or  were  'fallen 
to  the  ground,'  this  detail  is  unimportant, — but  that  they  were  speech- 
less and  confounded. — -Hearing  the  voice.  In  chap.  22:  9  Paul 
says  'they  heard  not  the  voice  of  him  that  spake.'  It  is  to  be  noted 
that  in  the  Greek  voice  here  is  in  the  Genitive  (r7/f  (buvf/r)  and  in  Acts 
22:  9  the  accusative  case.  Partly  upon  this  ground  and  the  secondary 
meaning  of  'hear,'  understand  (See  Mark  4:  33,  etc.),  the  divergence 
has  been  explained  in  this  way,  Paul  heard  the  voice  distinctly  and 
understood  it  while  his  companions  only  heard  a  sound,  and  did 
not  understand  the  words.  Saul  received  a  clear  impression  of  what 
was  being  spoken,  whilst  those  with  him  received  only  an  indefinite 
one.  A  similar  difference  between  Paul's  experience  and  theirs  was  in 
the  fact,  that  while  the  light  shone  around  them  all  (26:  13)  Paul  alone 
saw  Christ.  A  similar  phenomenon  is  recorded  in  John  (12:  28,  29) 
when  there  came  a  voice  from  heaven  answering  Jesus.  The  multitude 
in  general  thought  it  had  thundered. 

Ver.  8.     He  saw  nothing.     The  glory  of  the  light  had  so  com- 


9:  9.]  ACTS  IX.  113 

9  haDcl,  and  brought  him  into  Damascus.     And  he  was 
three  days  without  sight,  and  did  neither  eat  nor  drink. 

plete]y  dazzled  bis  eyes  that  he  was  blind. — They  led  him  by  the 
hand.  'Thus  came  Saul  into  Damascus,  not  as  he  had  expected,  to 
triumph  in  an  enterprise  on  which  his  soul  was  set,  to  brave  all  diffi- 
culties and  dangers,  to  enter  into  houses  and  carry  off  prisoners  to 
Jerusalem;  but  he  passed  himself  like  a  prisoner  beneath  the  gateway, 
and  through  the  colonnades  of  the  street  called  ''Straight,"  where  he 
saw  not  the  crowd  of  those  who  gazed  on  him.  He  was  led  bj^  the 
hands  of  others,  trembling  and  helpless,  to  the  house  of  Judas,  his  dark 
and  solitary  lodging'  (Conybeare  and  Howson). 

Ver.  9.  He  vras  three  days,  etc.  Augustine  writes  that  Saul 
was  blinded  that  his  heart  might  be  enlightened  with  an  inner  light. 
Then,  when  other  things  were  unseen  by  him,  he  kept  gazing  on  Jesus; 
80  piercing,  so  deep  was  his  remorse,  that  during  this  time  he  neither 
ate  nor  drank.  '  He  fasted  and  prayed  in  silence  ;  the  recollections  of 
his  early  years,  the  passages  of  the  ancient  Scriptures  which  he  had 
never  understood,  the  thoughts  of  his  own  cruelty  and  violence,  the 
memory  of  the  last  looks  of  Stephen,—  all  these  things  crowded  into  his 
mind  during  the  three  days  of  solitude,  and  we  may  imagine  one  feel- 
ing above  all  others  in  possession  of  his  heart,  the  feeling  suggested  by 
Christ's  words,  "Why  persecutest  thou  me?"  '  (Conybeare  and  Howson). 

*PRACTirAL  XoTES. — With  God  all  things  are  possible.  He  taketh  up  the  mountains 
as  a  very  little  thing,  and  he  can  change  the  hardest  and  most  violent  heart  into  a 
vessel  of  grace.  Saul  was  for<mos'  in  the  work  of  persecuting  the  Church.  He  subse- 
quently referred  to  this  activity  in  terms  of  strong  language,  but  in  language  of  deep 
repentance.  '  Beyond  measure  he  had  persecuted  the  (Tiurch  of  God  and  made  havoc 
of  it'  (Gal.  1 :  13).  To  human  eyes  the  conversion  of  thi-^  man  was  the  most  improba- 
ble of  events.  But  it  is  the  boast  of  divine  grace  to  come  into  unlikeliest  hearts  and  shed 
its  light  upon  darkpst  spots.— Saul  of  Tarsus  was  sincere  in  his  unbelief.  He  had  been 
trained  in  the  strictest  doctrines  of  the  Pharisees  fActs  20:  5;  Phil.  .3:  5),  and  thought 
to  glorify  God  in  extirpating  the  new  sect.  What  he  did,  as  he  afterwards  confesses, 
'he  did  ignorantly  in  unbelief"  (I  Tim.  1 :  13).  His  case  was  a  very  different  one  from 
the  case  of  those  who  are  careless  or  lukewarm,  and  display  the  inactivity  of  iudifference. 
He  was  pre-eminently  a  mm  of  strong  convictions  and  earnest  nature.  The  Church  has 
more  to  hope  from  those  who  oppose  her  doctrines  from  strong  convictions  and  in  a 
manly  way,  than  from  apathetic  and  lifeless  unbelievers,  or  half-hearted  characters  of 
no  decision  or  strong  purpose* — The  revelation  of  Christ  is  a  revelation  of  light.  He  ia 
the  '  light  of  the  world,'  and  those  who  sit  in  darkness  when  they  see  Christ  see  a  great 
light'  (Matt.  4:  10).  To  every  one  born  into  the  kingdom  Christ  gives  light  (Eph.  5: 
14). — Paul  saw  Christ  on  bis  way  to  Damascis,  but  he  also  saw  himself. — God  often 
humbles  before  He  exalts  and  l^^ads  His  children  into  the  light  through  gloom. 
Paul  was  taught  human  helplessness  during  the  th'"ee  days  of  his  waiting  in  Damas- 
cus. It  was  indeed  w  bile  he  was  yet  '  weak '  (Eom.  H :  6)  that  God  revealed  His 
power  and  grace  in  him. — There  are  differences  of  experience  in  conversion.  Somo 
natures  like  .John  srrow  up  gradually  into  a  saving  knowledge  of  Christ,  others  paas 
8 


114  ACTS  IX.  [9:  10,11. 

Chapter  9:  10-19. 
Paulas  Baptism. 

10  Now  there  was  a  certain  disciple  at  Damascus,  named 
Ananias;  and  the  Lord  said  unto  him  in  a  vision, 
Ananias.     And   he   said,  Behold,   I  am  here,  Lord. 

11  And*  the  Lord  said  unto  him.  Arise,  and  go  to  the 
street  which  is  called  Straight,  and  inquire  in  the 
house  of  Judas  for  one  named  Saul,  a  man  of  Tarsus : 

quickly  into  it  without  apparently  experiencing  any  harrowing  sense  of  sin,  but 
attracted  by  the  glory  of  the  cross.  This  was  the  case  with  the  Ethiopian  Eunuch 
and  Cornelius.  With  some  conversion  is  a  long  process.  But  Paul  and  many  like 
him  pass  by  a  sudden  thrill  of  conviction,  and  a  wrenching  of  their  whole  moral 
nature  from  the  kingdom  of  darkness  to  the  kingdom  of  light. — The  brightest  expe- 
riences in  conversion  do  not  do  away  with  the  necessity  for  after  effort.  Paul  had  seen 
Christ.  That  unalterable  conviction  never  left  his  soul.  But  he  was  not  content  with 
that.  He  ever  pressed  forward  to  a  mure  complete  realization  of  Christ  in  his  life  and 
the  attainment  of  him  in  heaven  (Phil.  3 :  7-12). — A  Christian  life  begins  with  tlie 
confession  '  I  am  apprehended  of  Christ  Jesus,'  and  continues  with  the  determination 
'I  press  on'  (Phil.  3:  12). 

Paul's   BajHism,  vers.  10-19. 

Ver.  10.  Ananias.  There  is  nothing  positively  known  of  Ananias, 
except  what  we  read  here  and  in  chap.  22:  12  where  he  is  described  as 
a  'devout  man  according  to  the  Law.'  His  name  and  the  presence  of 
other  disciples  in  Damascus  prove  how  Avidely  the  Gospel  was  already 
extended. — The  Lord  said  unto  him.  This  was  .Jesus  Christ,  as  is 
clear  from  vers.  13,  14  and  the  words  of  ver.  17,  'the  Lord,  even  Jesus, 
hath  sent  me.' — In  a  vision.  AVhether  the  vision  came  to  Ananias 
when  he  was  in  a  dream  or  awake,  cannot  be  determined.  "We  know 
too  little  of  the  laws  which  regulate  the  rare  communications  of  the 
higher  spiritual  world  with  men. 

Ver.  11.  The  street  which  is  called  Straight.  In  the  time 
when  the  events  related  in  the  Acts  took  place,  'the  main  thorough- 
fare of  Damascus  was  the  street  called  "Straight,"  so  called  from  its 
running  in  a  direct  line  from  the  eastern  to  the  western  gate.  It  was 
a  mile  long,  a  hundred  feet  wide,  and  divided  into  three  avenues  by 
Corinthian  columns  .  .  .  remains  of  which  may  still  be  traced.  At 
present  the  street,  instead  of  the  lordly  proportions  which  once  called 
forth  the  stranger's  admiration,  has  been  contracted  by  successive  en- 
croachments into  a  narrow  passage  more  resembling  a  by-lane  than  the 
principal  avenue  of  a  noble  city.  At  a  little  distance  from  the  western 
gate  is  still  shown  the  house  of  Judas.  Farther  along,  and  near  the 
eastern  gate,  you  turn  up  a  narrow  lane  to  the  left,  when  you  come  to 
the  house  of  Ananias,  which  is  also  a  grotto'  (Lewin's  L>fe  of  St.  Paul). 


9:  12-15.]  ACTS  IX.  115 

12  for  behold,  he  prayeth ;  and  he  hath  seen  a  man  named 
Ananias  coming  in,  and  laying  his  hands  on  him,  that 

13  he  might  receive  his  sight.  But  Ananias  answered, 
Lord,  I  have  heard  from  many  of  this  man,  how  much 

14  evil  he  did  to  thy  saints  at  Jerusalem :  and  here  he 
hath  authority  from  the  chief  priests  to  bind  all  that 

15  call  upon  thy  i:»ame.  But  the  Lord  said  unto  him.  Go 
thy  way  :  for  he  is  a  ^chosen  vessel  unto  me,  to  bear 
my  name  before  the  Gentiles  and  kings,  and  the  chil- 

1  Gr.  vessel  of  election. 

— Tarsus.  'No  mean  city'  (Acts  21:  39).  It  was  the  metropolis  of 
Cilicia  and  Avas  originally  built  on  both  sides  of  the  river  Cydnus.  Its 
coins  tell  us  the  story  of  its  greatness  through  the  long  series  of  years 
which  intervened  between  Xerxes  and  Alexander,  At  this  time  it  was 
a  famous  seat  of  education  and  was  compared  by  Strabo  to  Athens  and 
Alexandria.  It  still  exists  under  its  old  name  'Tersoos,'  and  though 
its  former  fame  and  prosperity  have  long  departed  from  it,  it  still  pos- 
sesses some  30,000  inhabitants  (see  Conybeare  and  Howson's  ^S"^.  Paul, 
chap.  ii.). —  Behold,  he  prayeth.  This  fact  seems  mentioned  by  the 
Lord  to  reassure  Ananias,  that  he  might  look  for  a  favorable  reception 
even  from  the  famous  inquisitor  Saul.  "^ These  words  indicate  Paul's 
changed  attitude  to  Christ,  for  the  .Jews  also  prayed.  They  present 
the  contrast  of  the  violent  persecutor  and  the  penitent  suppliant  of 
divine  grace  for  the  pardon  of  past  sins  and  direction  in  his  blinded, 
helpless  condition. 

Ver.  12.  Hath  seen  a  man  named  Ananias.  We  may  con- 
clude that  Saul  and  Ananias  were  previously  unknown  to  each  other. 

Ver.  13.  I  have  heard  from  many  of  this  man.  The  ter- 
rible notoriety  of  Saul  is  shown  b}'  this  ansAver.  The  words  exhibit 
astonishment  and  hesitation,  and  are  uttered  in  childlike  trust. — Thy 
saints.  This  is  the  first  time  that  we  find  this  famous  name  applied 
to  the  followers  of  Christ.  They  have  hitherto  been  styled  '  disciples' 
(6:  1), 'believers '  (5 :  141.  "^  The  designation  'saints'  is  frequently 
used  by  Paul  in  his  Epistles  (Pvom.  1 :  7,  etc.),  and  indicates  that  the 
Christians  were  regarded  as  separated  from  the  world,  and  sanctified 
by  reason  of  their  relation  to  Christ  (1  Cor.  1 :  2)  by  the  Spirit. 

Ver.  14.  Here  he  hath  authority.  No  doubt  the  saints  at 
Damascus  had  received  intimation  from  the  Jerusalem  brethren  of 
Saul's  mission  to  their  city. 

Ver.  15.  He  ia  a  chosen  vessel.  Literally,  a  vessel  of  election. 
The  idea  is  an  Old  Testament  one  :  the  clay  in  the  potter's  hand  to 
mould  or  to  mar,  as  it  seemed  good  to  the  potter ;  the  clay  to  be 
fashioned,  as  it  pleased  the  potter,  as  in  Isa.  45:  9,  11  ;  .Jer.  18:  4. 
The  same  imagery  is  often  used  by  Paul  .Rom.  9  :  21-23  ;  2  Cor.  4:7; 


116  ACTS  IX.  [9:  16-18. 

16  dren  of  Israel :  for  I  will  shew  him  how  many  things 

17  he  must  suffer  for  my  name's  sake.  And  Ananias 
departed,  and  entered  into  the  house;  and  laying  his 
hands  on  him  said,  Brother  Saul,  the  Lord,  even  Jesus, 
who  appeared  unto  thee  in  the  way  which  thou  earnest, 
hath  sent  me,  that  thou  may  est  receive  thy  sight,  and 

18  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  straightway 
there  fell  from  his  eyes  as  it  were  scales,  and  he  re- 

2  Tim.  2:  20,21). — To  bear   my  name   before   the  Gentiles. 

It  was  to  be  the  chief  Avork  of  Paul's  life  to  i^reach  Christ  to  the  Gen- 
tile or  non-.Jewish  world.  Although  he  first  preached  to  the  Jews,  he 
afterwards  saw  that  this  was  his  mission  (Gal.  1 :  16).  He  was  the 
Apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  and  was  the  first  of  the  Apostles  to  preach  the 
Gospel  in  Europe — Kings.  Paul  fulfilled  this  when  he  appeared  be- 
fore Agrippa  at  Cassarea  (Acts  26:  1,  13),  and  perhaps  the  Emperor 
Nero  at  Rome  (2  Tim.  4:  17),  and  when  he  pleaded  before  the  tri- 
bunals of  the  Roman  governors  Sergius  Paulus,  Gallio,  Felix,  and 
Festus. — The  children  of  Israel.  Although  Paul  was  the  Apostle 
of  tlie  Gentiles  (Acts  13:  46),  it  was  his  custom  first,  to  tell  the  story 
of  redemption  to  the  children  of  Israel  in  every  city  where  there  was 
a  synagogue  of  the  chosen  people. 

Ver.  16.  Ho-w  many  things  he  must  suffer.  In  his  farewell 
address  at  Ephesus  (Acts  20 :  23)  he  tells  how  the  Holy  Ghost  was 
witnessing  that  bonds  and  afflictions  were  awaiting  him,  and  in  2  Cor. 
11 :  23-28  he  enumerates  a  list  of  his  trials.  The  Apostles  understood 
that  persecution  awaited  them.  Christ  had  foretold  that  in  the  world 
they  should  have  tribulation  (John  16  :  33). 

Ver.  17.  ^Laying  his  hands.  This  service  did  not  belong  ex- 
clusively to  the  Apostles.— Brother  Saul.  The  words  of  the  Master 
in  the  vision  had  done  their  work  with  Ananias.  He  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  the  house  indicated  to  him  in  the  vision,  and  going  up  to  the 
dreaded  inquisitor,  now  blind  and  humbled,  greeted  him  with  love  and 
tenderness  as  one  of  the  brotherhood  of  Jesus,  and  told  him  he  was 
charged  by  the  One  who  appeared  to  him  in  the  way  to  Damascus  to 
restore  his  sight,  and  to  bestow  upon  him  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost. — 
"Who  appeared  unto  thee  in  the  ■way.  This  and  similar  de- 
clarations are  important,  as  in  later  days  Paul,  in  speaking  of  the 
evidences,  seems  to  have  attached  the  deepest  importance  to  the  fiict 
that  he  had  see?!  the  Lord  (1  Cor.  9  :  1  ;  15  :  8). 

Ver.  18.  *Thou  mayest  receive  thy  sight.  The  dazzling 
light  had  blinded  Paul  (Acts  22:  11).  The  physical  blindness  was 
typical  of  the  darkness  of  his  soul.  It  was  appropriate  that  the  scales 
should  fall  from  his  ej'es  and  his  blindness  disappear,  when  he  was 
spiritually  illumined  and  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  Hippocrates 
mentions  a  disease  of  the  eyes  under  the  technical  term   '  scales,'  and 


9:  19.]  ACTS  IX.  117 

19  ceived  his  sight ;  and  he  arose  and  was  baptized ;  and 
he  took  food  and  was  strengthened. 

in  the  book  of  Tobit  (11:  IB)  a  'whiteness'  or  incrustation  of  the 
eye  is  referred  to,  which  peeled  oif.  It  may  be  that  some  films  or 
other  foreign  substance  had  grown  over  Paul's  eyes  (Bengel,  Mejer, 
Plumptre).  But  it  is  more  likely  that  a  sensation  is  referred  to,  like 
that  of  the  falling  of  scales  (Lange,  etc.).  In  either  case  the  expres- 
sion betrays  Luke's  knowledge  of  the  medical  art  (comp.  ch.  3:  7,  etc.). 
— Was  baptized.  Most  likely  in  the  house  of  Judas,  where  fcjaul 
was  staying.  Damascus  is  abundantly  supplied  with  water.  At  this 
day,  the  Barada  (the  Abana  of  the  Old  Testament)  runs  directly 
through  the  city,  supplying  the  cisterns,  baths,  and  fountains ;  all  the 
better  houses  have  a  reservoir  in  their  court,  or  stand  beside  a  natural 
or  artificial  stream,  ^The  baptism  of  Paul  is  of  much  significance  for 
the  doctrine  of  the  application  of  this  rite.  Even,  Paul,  who  had  en- 
joyed such  an  immediate  revelation  of  Christ,  received  the  outward 
seal  of  the  inward  washing  of  regeneration.  The  disparagement  or 
neglect  of  baptism  is  opposed  to  the  preaching  and  practice  of  the 
Apostles  in  the  early  Church. 

♦Practical  Notes. — God  finds  us  out  wherever  wc  are,  and  understands  our  temper 
of  mind.  He  found  Paul  on  the  highway  to  Damascus,  and  knew  where  he  was  in 
Damjiscus  and  all  about  the  state  of  his  feelings. — Obscure  agents  may  share  in 
great  events.  Ananias,  who  was  only  a  disciple,  and  of  whom  nothing  else  is  known 
but  what  is  related  in  this  connection,  did  a  great  work  in  comforting  and  baptizing 
Paul.  So  the  monk  Staupitz  was  the  guide  of  the  great  Pieformer  Luther,  when  he 
whispered  in  his  ear:  'The  just  live  by  faith.' — Doubts  about  the  conversion  of  others 
proceed  from  a  knowledge  of  their  previous  conduct  and  forgetfulness  of  the  power  of 
converting  grace.  Paul's  conversion  should  warn  us  against  despairing  of  the  con- 
version of  any.— The  greeting  of  Ananias  a  word  of  the  New  Dispensation,  'Brother' 
(ver.  17).  All  men  without  respect  of  persons  are  brethren  in  Christ.  The  power  of 
this  word  and  this  idea  in  the  history  of  the  early  Church  and  of  Methodism  can  hardly 
be  exaggerated.— Prayer  is  an  evidence  of  conversion.  Paul  had  prayed  as  a  Pharisee, 
but  in  the  spirit  of  self-laudation  and  the  pride  of  self-righteousness.  Paul  now  prays 
as  a  Christian  in  the  spirit  of  humility,  confessing  his  sins  and  invoking  Christ's 
righteousness. — Conversion  is,  as  it  were,  a  passage  from  darkness  into  light.  Paul's 
blindness  was  a  symbol  of  spiritual  darkness  and  ignorance.  When  he  was  to  be  bap- 
tized and  filled  with  the  power  of  a  new  life  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  received  his  sight. 
God  calls  us  'out  of  darkness  into  the  marvclious  light'  when  we  believe  in  Christ 
(I  Pet.  2  :  9).— He  who  witnesses  for  Christ  in  the  world  must  expect  to  suffer  for  him 
(ver.  16).  In  the  world  there  is  tribulation.  But  Paul  who  knew  so  much  about  suf- 
fering for  the  Master,  was  able  to  rejoice  even  in  bonds  (Phil.  3:  1),  and  'counted  all 
things  to  be  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ '  (Phil.  3 :  8).— Paul  was 
the  thirteenth  apostle.  His  direct  and  striking  call  would  teach  the  early  Church 
not  to  place  an  over-dependence  upon  the  eleven  who  had  been  disciples  of  the  Lord. 
They  were  not  hierarchs,  but  simple  witnes'^es,  and  at  different  ages  God  lifts  up  by 
special  appointment  and  revelation  great  men  with  apostolic  endowment  and  commis- 


118  ACTS  IX.  [9:  19. 

Bion  (Luther,  Wesley,  etc.).  Paul  ever  laid  stress  upon  his  immediate  call,  and  that 
no  aiiostolic  instrumentality  had  interposed  to  teach  him  the  Gospel  (Gal.  1 :  11-13). 
Hands  were  indeed  laid  on  him,  and  he  was  baptized,  but  by  a  simple  disciple,  and 
not  by  one  of  the  Twelve.  God  raises  up  His  agents  for  special  tasks  in  His  own  ways, 
and  does  not  confine  Himself  to  ecclesiastical  xjfficials  appointed  by  a  rigid  system. 

*  Excursus  on  the  Conveksion  of  Paul  as  an  Evidence  for  the  Truth  of  Chris- 
tianity.— Next  to  the  person  of  Chiist  aud  the  resurrection,  the  most  important  evi- 
dence for  the  truth  of  Christianity  is  the  conversion  of  Paul.  So  long  as  it  remains 
impossible  to  blot  out  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  and  the  conversion  of  Paul  from  the 
records  of  reliable  history,  Christianity  will  continue  to  bo  recognized  in  the  world  as 
a  divine  revelation.  Lord  Lyttleton  long  ago  said  in  his  famous  treatise.  The  Conver- 
sion vf  St.  Paul:  'The  conversion  and  apostleship  of  St.  Paul  alone,  duly  considered, 
is  of  itself  a  demonstration  sufficient  to  prove  Christianity  to  be  a  divine  revelation." 
The  importance  of  the  change  of  the  whole  tenor  of  Paul's  life  can  hardly  be  exagge- 
rated. That  was  a  change  as  startling  as  the  change  from  darkness  to  light,  a  transi- 
tion so  contrary  to  all  that  the  previous  history  of  Pauls  life  would  lead  us  to  expect, 
and  yet  occurring  in  the  life  of  a  man  whose  intellect  was  otherwise  so  keen,  and 
whose  motives  were  so  pure,  that  nothing  but  the  reality  of  the  supernatural  events 
leading  to  it  and  the  truth  of  Christianity  itself  can  rationally  be  regarded  as  explain- 
ing it. 

Saul  of  Tarsus  bad  been  before  his  journey  to  Damascus  a  representative  of  the 
most  inveterate  hostility  to  the  sect  and  doctrines  of  the  Christians.  As  the  executive 
of  this  school  of  opinion,  he  had  been  an  uncompromising  inquisitor,  searching  out 
the  Christians  in  Jerusalem  and  other  cities,  and  dragging  men  aud  women  to  prison 
and  death.  His  activity  was  very  violent  (Gal.  1:  13,  etc.),  and  yet  he  suddenly  and 
without  human  intervention  became  a  follower  of  Christ,  renounced  the  hopes  of  his 
youth,  abrogated  the  convictions  of  his  manhood,  submitted  himself  to  baptism,  and 
became  not  only  the  most  eloquent  advocate  of  the  divinity  of  Christ,  but  the  most 
zealous  and  untiring  missionary  of  the  early  Church.  He  had  been  a  fanatical  adhe- 
rent of  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees  ;  yet  he  suddenly  became  an  humble  follower  of  the 
despised  Nazarene.  He  had  sat  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel,  and  was  instructed  in  all  the 
traditions  of  the  schools,  yet  without  warning  he  started  forth  to  proclaim  the  name 
of  Christ,  which  meant  dissolution  to  those  schools  and  death  to  rabbinical  sophistry. 
He  had  not  been  one  of  Christ's  disciples  ;  yet  none  in  apostolic  times  or  since  has  had 
a  more  flaming  enthusiasm  for  the  person  of  Christ,  been  more  abundant  in  sutferings 
to  further  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  or  more  triumphant  in  the  hopes  of  it  than  he. 
If  it  had  once  ))een  his  aim  to  blot  out  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  from  the  earth, 
it  became  his  passion  to  exalt  him  as  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  and  stronger  language 
could  scarcely  be  found  than  that  which  he  used  to  express  a  burning  loyalty  for  the 
person  of  Christ :  '  To  me  to  live  is  Christ '  (Phil.  1 :  21),  and  the  conviction  of  the 
saving  power  of  the  Gospel,  which  is  'the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one 
that  believeth,'  etc.  (Rom.  1 :  IC). 

This  radical  change  demands  a  rational  and  sufficient  explanation.  The  explanation 
of  the  author  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  is  recorded  in  the  first  verses  of  this  ninth 
chapter.  He  appeals  to  a  supernatural  vision  which  Paul  is  declared  to  have  had  at 
midday  on  the  road  to  Damascus,  whither  he  was  bent  on  an  errand  of  persecution 
against  the  Christians.  Twice  afterwards  the  same  supernatural  occurrence  is  recorded 
in  the  Acts  (chaps.  22,  26)  as  a  report  of  speeches  by  Paul.    Frequently  also  in  hia 


9:  19.]  ACTS  IX.  119 

Epistles  does  Paul  refer  to  this  event  as  one  in  which  Christ  appeared  to  him  visibly 
(1  Cor.  15:  8;  Gal.  1 :  12,  etc.).  There  are  only  three  hypotheses  possible  to  account 
for  Paul's  conversion  and  subsequent  conviction :  he  was  sincere,  or  he  was  an  impos- 
tor, or  he  was  a  self-deceived  enthusiast.  The  last  hypothesis,  that  Paul  was  an  enthu- 
siast contradicts  the  whole  tenor  and  trend  of  Paul's  life.  That  a  man  should  manifest 
such  great  intellectual  lucidity,  endure  such  a  long  fight  of  afflictions  and  become  the 
most  able  exxwunder  of  a  system,  for  the  truth  of  which  he  only  had  evidence  which 
at  best  was  illusory,  is  opposed  to  every  principle  by  which  human  conduct  is  judged. 
The  hjpothesis  of  imposture  deserves  a  more  careful  consideration.  It  is  necessary, 
however,  where  the  charge  of  imposture  is  made  to  allege  a  rational  motive  for  it.  In 
the  case  of  Paul  such  a  motive  it  seems  to  be  impossible  to  find.  He  had  humanly 
speaking  nothing  to  gain  by  becoming  a  Christian.  He  was  respected  among  the  Jews 
and  was  perhaps  even  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin  (Acts  26:  10).  He  would  gain 
neither  wealth,  nor  fame,  nor  satisfy  a  love  of  ease  by  joining  himself  to  the  Chris- 
tians. In  doing  so,  on  the  contrary,  he  was  casting  in  his  lot  with  a  sect  to  which- 
soon  afterwards  the  very  epithet  the  'Poor'  (Ebionites)  was  applied  in  scorn,  which 
was  despised  as  a  group  of  illiterate  rustics,  against  which  the  ban  of  persecution  had 
gone  out.  There  was  no  sentimental  consideration  to  lead  the  well  schooled  disciple 
of  Gamaliel  to  identify  himself  with  the  followers  of  Christ.  He  who  had  seen  Stephen 
die  a  violent  death  outside  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  knew  that  to  adopt  his  views  probably 
meant  death  for  himself.  In  fact  he  had  everything  to  lose,  his  social  position,  his  proper 
ambitions,  his  very  life.  It  is  evident  that  his  motives  were  pure  in  becoming  a  Chris- 
tian (Acts  20 :  33 ;  2  Cor.  12 :  14,  etc.),  and  that  he  became  a  Christian,  fully  under- 
standing  what  the  consequences  of  it  would  be,  contumely,  suffering,  perhaps  death.  If 
the  other  disciples  had  reasons  for  practising  any  imposture,  Paul  had  none.  They  might 
have  felt  an  interest  in  rescuing  Christ's  fame,  even  though  they  did  not  believe  he 
was  risen  from  the  dead.  No  such  reason  could  have  existed  in  the  case  of  Paul,  who 
had  always  been  identified  with  the  enemies  of  Christ  and  had  scorned  his  claims.  On 
the  other  hand  if  Paul  had  been  a  deceiver,  he  might  have  accomplished  his  end  best 
by  securing  his  credentials  from  the  Apostles.  But  not  only  did  he  not  do  this,  but  he 
strenuo'isly  disavowed  that  any  of  his  authority  was  of  human  derivation  (Gal.  1: 11- 
19).  The  hypothesis  likewise  shatters  on  the  rock  of  Paul's  character.  He  was  a 
truthful  man,  and  it  is  impossible  to  reconcile  with  his  self-denying  Apostleship,  the 
thought  that  he  imposed  a  fictitious  account  of  his  conversion  on  the  world. 

The  only  rational  explanation  of  Paul's  conversion  to  Christianity,  is  that  he  received 
a  supernatural  revelation  on  the  way  to  Damascus,  and  really  saw  Christ  and  was 
audibly  commissioned  by  him.  This  alone  explains  his  complete  abrogation  of  his  old 
assiiciations,  that  he  became  a  willing  servant  of  Christ  {2  Cor.  4:  5),  that  he  stood 
forth  as  the  undaunted  champion  of  his  ridiculed  claims,  that  he  preached  indefatiga- 
bly  in  the  great  centers  of  religion,  intellect  and  commerce,  that  he  bowed  to  scourg- 
ings  and  imprisonments  that  he  made  the  prison  bright  and  radiant  with  the  convic- 
tions and  hopes  of  the  Gospel,  and  finally  died  a  martyr  in  its  service.  Between  the 
Paul  on  his  way  from  Jerusalem,  *  breathing  threatening  and  slaughter  against  the 
disciples  of  the  Lord  '  (Acts  9:1),  and  the  Paul  uttering  before  Rome  the  bold  confes- 
Bion,  '  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,'  etc.,  and  on  Mars  Hill  calling  upon 
the  Athenians  to  rejient  (Acts  17 :  30),  there  fiashed  the  light  of  heaven  and  the  stroke 
occurred  which  he  embodied  himself  in  the  words  '  I  was  apprehended  by  Christ 
Jesus '  (Phil.  3 :  12). 


120  ACTS  IX.  [9:  19-20. 

Chapter  9:  19-25. 

Paul  preaches  Christ  and  is  in  Danger  of  his  Life. 

And  he  was  certain  days  with  the  disciples  which 
20  were  at  Damascus.      And   straightAvay  in  the   syna- 
gogues he  proclaimed  Jesus^  that  he  is  the  Son  of  God. 

Paul  preaches   Christ  and  is  in  Danger  of  his  Life,  vers.  19-25. 

Ver.  19.  He  was  certain  days  with  the  disciples,  etc.  Paul 
in  his  Galatian  Epistle  (1 :  lG-18),  tells  how,  soon  after  his  conversion, 
he  went  into  Arabia,  then  returned  to  Damascus,  and  after  an  interval 
of  three  years  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  see  Peter.  Here  this  visit  is 
not  mentioned,  butsevei'al  distinct  periods  of  time  are  alluded  to  :  —  {a) 
Vers.  I'd-'!!.  Certain  dcvis,  a  period  immediately  succeeding  his  conver- 
sion, when  he  preached  in  the  Damascus  synagogue;  {b)  Ver.  23. 
And  token  many  days  tv  ere  fulfilled,  a  much  longer  period,  which  proba- 
bly included  two  years  or  more;  (c)  Vers.  24-26.  The  close  of  this 
more  extended  period,  when  the  hatred  of  the  Jews  compelled  him 
finally  to  quit  Damascus,  when  he  went  to  Jerusalem.  Considerable 
doubt  exists  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  word  'Arabia'  in  Gal.  1 :  17. 
Sometimes  it  includes  Damascus  ;  sometimes  it  ranges  over  Lebanon 
itself,  and  extends  even  to  the  borders  of  Cilicia  (see  Conybeare  and 
Howson,  St.  Paul,  chap.  iii.).  Ewald  suggests  that  the  word  Damascus, 
used  by  the  writer  of  the  Acts,  includes  this  residence  in  Arabia  as  in 
a  part  of  the  Damascene  district  or  territory,  the  name  of  the  capital 
city  being  used  as  including  all  the  territory  or  district  of  Damascus. 
It  is,  however,  possible  that  Saul,  longing  for  a  time  of  meditation 
before  setting  out  on  his  great  life's  work,  in  the  stillness  of  the 
Arabian  desert,  near  the  Red  Sea,  the  desert  of  the  wanderings  of  his 
fathers,  sought  and  found  opportunity  for  solitary  communion  Avitli  God. 

^Ver.  20.  In  the  synagogues  he  proclaimed  Jesus.  The 
synagogues  were  freely  used  by  the  first  Christian  preachers  to  pro- 
claim Christ.  They  were  erected  after  Ezra's  time,  and  in  the  days  of 
Christ  nearly  every  town  in  Palestine  had  one.  The  services  consisted 
of  prayers  and  the  reading  and  comments  upon  the  Old  Testament. 
Our  Lord  used  the  synagogue  of  Nazareth  (Luke  4:  16,  etc.).  The  first 
mention  of  the  synagogue  in  the  Acts  is  in  connection  with  Stephen's 
life  (Acts  6:  9).  The  early  Christians  made  themselves  heard  in  them 
(26 :  11 ).  Paul  started  to  Damascus  furnished  with  letters  to  the  syna- 
gogues (Acts  9 :  2).  In  his  subsequent  travels  throughout  Asia  and 
Greece,  he  usel  the  local  synagogues  for  the  purpose  of  preaching 
Christ,  as  at  Antioch  (Acts  13:  14),  Thessalonica  (17:  1),  Corinth  (18: 
4),  etc.  It  was  evidently  a  design  of  Providence  in  the  extension  of  the 
synagogues,  that  they  should  serve  as  the  first  Christian  pulpits  and 
thus  accelerate  the  spread  of  the  Gospel. — The  Son  of  God.  This 
was  one  of  the  Jewish  titles  of  Messiah.     So  Nathanael  (John  1 :  49) 


9:  21-23.]  ACTS   IX.  121 

21  And  all  that  heard  him  were  amazed,  and  said,  Is  not 
this  he  that  in  Jerusalem  made  havock  of  them  which 
called  on  this  name?  and  he  had  come  hither  for  this 
intent,  that  he  might  bring  them  bound  before  the 

22  chief  priests.  But  Saul  increased  the  more  in  strength, 
and  confounded  the  Jews  which  dwelt  at  Damascus, 
proving  that  this  is  the  Christ. 

23  And  Avhen  many  days  were  fulfilled,  the  Jews  took 

addresses  Christ,  'Rabbi,  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God;  thou  art  King  of 
Israel ;'  so  Peter  ( Matt.  16 :  16 ),  *  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
GodJ  *It  may  be  supposed,  however,  that  Paul  included  more  under 
this  appellation  than  the  ideas  common  among  the  Jews.  Christ  had 
proclaimed  himself  to  be  equal  with  the  Fathei-.  Paul  accepted  this 
doctrine  (Rom.  1:  4,  etc.),  and  verse  22  would  be  a  mere  repetition 
unless  the  words  here  have  a  more  comprehensive  significance  than 
the  'Messiah.' 

Ver.  21.  All  that  heard  him  were  amazed.  The  Jews  were 
astonished;  they  knew  the  position  he  had  held  at  Jerusalem;  they 
knew  the  object  of  his  visit  to  Damascus ;  and  now  they  saw  him  using 
all  his  great  powers  to  defend  and  advance  the  cause  he  had  come  to 
destroy. 

Ver.  22.  Saul  increased  the  more  in  strength.  He  became 
more  energetic  in  his  new  activity  and  more  skilled  in  debate  and 
equipped  in  knowledge. — Proving  that  this  is  the  Christ.  Lite- 
rally, bringing  together,  showing  the  connection  between  the  words 
of  the  Old  Testament  prophets  and  the  life  and  work  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth. 

Ver.  23.  When  many  days  were  fulfilled.  Some  three  years 
probably  had  now  elapsed  (Gal.  1 :  18),  since  the  day  when  Ananias 
had  restored  sight  to  the  blinded  Pharisee  leader;  the  Damascus  preach- 
ing and  the  Arabian  journey  and  sojourn  had  filled  up  the  period. — 
The  Jev7S  took  counsel,  etc.  Saul's  learning  and  ability  made 
him  a  formidable  adversary  in  argument.  Chrysostom,  in  one  of  his 
homilies  on  the  Acts,  remarks  :  'They  thought  they  were  rid  of  argu- 
ment in  such  questions  in  getting  rid  of  Stephen :  but  they  found 
another  more  earnest  than  Stephen.'  Mr.  Lewin  (St.  Paul,  chap,  v.) 
observes  'that  the  present  posture  of  affairs  at  Damascus  offered  a 
favorable  opportunity.  But  Aretas  (2  Cor.  11:  32),  to  whose  kingdom 
of  Petra  Damascus  now  belonged,  in  order  to  conciliate  the  Jews  had 
invested  their  council  and  chief  officer,  called  the  Ethnarch,  with 
supreme  power  over  their  own  people.  A  capital  charge  was  there- 
fore made  against  Saul,  and  the  Ethnarch,  as  the  representative  of  the 
Jewish  nation,  issued  a  warrant  for  his  apprehension.  The  gates  of 
Damascus  were  watched  by  the  Jews  day  and  night  to  prevent  his 
escape.     Saul,  as  inflexible  in  the  defence  of  the  Gospel  as  before, 


122  ACTS  IX.  [9:  24-26. 

24  counsel  together  to  kill  him  :  but  their  plot  became 
kuown  to  Saul.     And  they  watched  the  gates  also  day 

25  and  night  that  they  might  kill  him  :  but  his  disciples 
took  him  by  night,  and  let  him  down  through  the  wall, 
lowering  him  in  a  basket. 

Chapter  9:  26-31. 
PauVs   Visit  to  Jerusalem. 

26  And  when  he  was  come  to  Jerusalem,  he  assayed  to 
join  himself  to  the  disciples :  and  they  were  all  afraid 

through  ignorance  he  had  been  furious  against  it,  was  willing,  we  can- 
not doubt,  to  lay  down  his  life  for  his  creed ;  but  ProA'idence  had 
destined  him  for  many  a  long  year  to  stand  forth  as  the  great  champion 
of  the  Church.' 

*  Ver.  25.  In  a  basket.  He  was  let  down  through  a  window  in 
the  wall  (2  Cor.  11:  33).  The  spies  at  Jericho  (Josh.  2:  15)  and 
David  (1  Sam.  19:  12)  had  effected  their  escape  in  a  similar  way. 

PauVs   Visit  to  Jerusalem,  vers.  26-31. 

Ver.  26.  When  he  "was  come  to  Jerusalem.  What  must  have 
been  Saul's  feelings  when,  after  three  years'  absence,  he  first  saw  the 
walls  and  towers  of  the  Holy  City  again  ?  He  had  left  Jerusalem  armed 
with  full  powers  to  root  up  the  heresy  spread  by  the  followers  of  Jesus. 
He  returned  to  the  capital  poor,  despised,  a  proscribed  outlaw,  his 
brilliant  earthly  prospects  blasted,  only  burning  to  preach  the  Name  of 
the  Crucified,  whose  devoted  followers  he  had  once  persecuted  so 
relentlessly.  'He  might,'  suggests  Howson  [St.  Paul),  'have  again,  as 
he  approached  the  city  gates,  trodden  the  very  spot  where  he  had  so 
exultantly  assisted  in  the  death  of  Stephen;  and  he  entered  then  per- 
fectly willing,  were  it  God's  will,  to  be  dragged  out  through  them  to 
the  same  fate.  He  would  feel  a  peculiar  tie  of  brotherhood  to  that 
martyr,  for  he  could  not  now  be  ignorant  that  the  same  Jesus,  who  in 
such  glory  had  called  him,  had  but  a  little  while  before  appeared  in  the 
same  glory  to  reassure  the  expiring  Stephen.  The  ecstatic  look  and 
words  of  the  dying  saint  now  came  fresh  upon  his  memory  Avith  their 
real  meaning.' — He  assayed  to  join  himself  to  the  dif-ciples. 
His  great  object  was  to  converse  with  Peter.  '  After  three  years  I  went 
up  to  Jerusalem  to  visit  Cephas'  (Gal.  1:  18).  ^His  object,  however, 
was  not  to  secure  authority  by  Apostolic  ordination.  He  distinctly 
declares  his  independence  of  all  human  teaching  and  authority  for  his 
ministry  (Gal.  1:  16).— They  were  all  afraid  of  him.  Hackett 
suggests,  'The  sudden  appearance  of  Voltaire  in  a  circle  of  Christians, 
claiming  to  be  one  of  them,  would  have  been  something  like  this  return 
of  Saul  to  Jerusalem  as  a  professed  disciple.' 


9:  27-30.]  ACTS  IX.  123 

27  of  hin],  not  believing  that  he  was  a  disciple.  But 
Barnabas  took  him,  and  brought  him  to  the  apos- 
tles, and  declared  unto  them  how  he  had  seen  the 
Lord  in  the  way,  and  that  he  had  spoken  to  him, 
and   how   at    Damascus  he  had  preached    boldly  in 

28  the  name  of  Jesus.     And  he  was  with  them  going 

29  in  and  going  out  at  Jerusalem,  preaching  boldly  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord:  and  he  spake  and  disputed 
against  the  ^Grecian  Jews;  but  they  went  about  to 

30  kill  him.  And  when  the  brethren  knew  it,  they 
brought  him  down  to  Csesarea,  and  sent  him  forth 
to  Tarsus. 

1  Gr,  Hellenists. 

Ver.  27.  But  Barnabas  took  him.  The  same  who  sold  his 
land,  and  gave  the  price  to  the  Apostles  for  the  use  of  the  society 
(Acts  4:  36,  37).  His  influence  seems  to  have  been  great  in  the  first 
councils  of  the  believers  in  Jesus.  The  proximity  of  Cyprus,  the  resi- 
dence of  Barnabas,  to  Tarsus  in  Cilicia,  has  led  some  to  conjecture  that 
Barnabas  and  Saul  had  been  acquainted  with  each  other  in  early  life. 
They  were  subsequently  associated  in  missionary  work. — Brought 
him  to  the  apostles,  viz.  to  Peter  and  James,  as  we  learn  from  Gal. 
1:  19.  'Other  of  the  Apostles  saw  I  none,  save  James  the  Lord's 
brother.'  The  other  members  of  the  Apostolic  body  were  probably 
absent  from  the  city. 

Yer.  28.     He  was  with  them.     Fifteen  days  (Gal.  1  :  18). 

Ver.  29,  Disputed  against  the  Grecian  Jews.  This  was  the 
same  class  with  whom  Stephen  had  argued  (Acts  6  :  8  sqq.)  They 
were  Jews  using  the  Greek  language. 

Ver.  30.  ^They  brought  him  down  to  Caesarea.  Cossarea 
was  the  chief  Roman  city  in  Palestine  at  this  time.  It  had  been  re- 
built on  a  grand  scale  by  Herod  (10  b.  c.  )  and  furnished  with  a  large 
theater  and  temple.  It  was  the  official  residence  of  Felix  and  Festus. 
It  afterwards  became  the  residence  of  a  bishop.  Eusebius  the  Church 
historian  was  the  most  distinguished  of  its  bishops.  Its  site  is  now 
desolate  and  a  heap  of  ruins.  The  city  was  on  the  Mediterranean, 
forty- seven  miles  north-west  of  Jerusalem. — To  Tarsus.  There  and 
in  the  surrounding  district  Saul  remained  until  summoned  to  Antioch 
by  Barnabas  for  other  and  grander  work  (Acts  11 :  25).  We  have  no 
record  of  his  labors  during  this  period.  '  Possibly  his  sister,  the 
playmate  of  his  childhood,  and  his  sister's  son,  who  afterwards  saved 
his  life  (Acts  23  :  lt)-23},  were  by  his  exertions  gathered  into  the  fold 
of  Christ.'     (Howson). 


124  ACTS  IX.  [9:  31. 

31  So  the  church  throughout  all  Judaea  and  Galilee 
and  Samaria  had  peace,  being  ^edified;  and  walking 
^in  the  fear  of  the  Lord  and  ^in  the  comfort  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  was  multiplied. 

1  Gr.  builded  up.  2  Or,  by. 

Ver.  31.  Had  peace.  Various  reasons  had  conduced  to  this 
peace  of  the  Church.  The  conversion  of  the  chief  persecutor,  Saul, 
no  doubt  for  a  time  paralyzed  the  counsels  of  the  Sanhedrin  in  their 
active  measures  against  the  followers  of  Jesus.  The  Jewish  rulers 
had  also  of  late  other  and  more  pressing  dangers  to  their  faith  to  con- 
front. The  legate  of  Syria,  Petronius,  wished  to  introduce  the  statue 
of  the  infamous  Emperor  Caligula  into  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem, 
and  for  a  time  there  was  danger  of  a  general  revolt  against  the  Roman 
power,  Caligula's  death  put  an  end  to  the  attempt. — Beiug  edified. 
That  is,  kept  advancing  in  the  inner  religious  life.  Two  consequences 
resulted  from  this  period  of  peace  enjoyed  by  the  churches  of  the 
Holy  Land: — (1)  The  spiritual  life  of  the  individual  members  was 
deepened;  (2)  the  numbers  of  the  several  congregations  were  in- 
creased.— *In  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  Gi-eek  word 
translated  '  comfort '  (varaklesis)  is  the  same  which  our  Lord  uses  as 
the  titlo  of  the  Holy  Spirit  '  Comforter '  (John  14  :  26).  The  Revised 
Version  gives  in  the  margin  the  renderings  '  Helper '  and  '  Advocate.' 
The  meaning  here  is  that  the  Church  received  an  immediate  commu- 
nication of  power  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  that  the  words  of  her 
teachers  were  suggested  by  him. 

*  Practical  Notes. — The  thoroughness  of  one's  conversion  is  proved  hy  one's  sub- 
sequent conduct  Paul's  feeUngs  and  convictions  had  undergone  a  complete  change 
on  tlie  way  to  Damascus.  If  he  gave  evidence  of  this  in  his  humble  prayer  and  in  his 
submission  to  the  rite  of  baptism,  he  also  gave  evidence  of  it  by  his  public  activity. 
Tie  at  once  began  to  use  his  voice  in  proving  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  lie 
braved  the  scorn  and  the  hostility  of  the  Jews  for  his  convictif>ns.  There  could  be 
no  doubt  of  his  sincerity  when  he  proclaimed  a  truth  so  odious  to  the  Jews,  and  which 
bad  been  so  odious  to  him,  and  was  willing  to  lay  down  liis  life  in  the  defense  of  the 
Gospel.  Ever  afterwards  Paul  exalted  Christ,  and  braved  perils  in  testifying  his  al- 
legiance to  him.— The  Christian  life  is  a  life  of  progress  in  knowledge,  faith,  ard 
R]iiritual  joy.  Conversion  is  only  the  starting  point,  the  first  turn  to  the  right,  as  it 
lias  been  called.  Tlie  subsequent  life  is  one  of  'pressing  onward'  ^Phil.  3:  12),  ac- 
quiring new  attainments  in  Christian  knowledge,  and  developing  a  more  fervent 
loyalty  to  Christ.  Paul  went  through  this  experience,  gaining  more  and  more  strength 
(ver.  22)  —The  Lord  sees  in  the  darkness  as  well  as  in  the  light,  and  can  protect  bis 
people  from  all  the  plots  of  their  enemies  (ver.  2-5).  The  suspicions  of  the  church  at 
Jerusalem  ought  not  to  surprise  us.  Paul  was  as  violent  a  persecutor  as  it  had  bad. 
The  fact  that  the  Apostles  did  not  receive  him  at  once  is  an  indirect  evidence  of  the 
wonderful  nature  of  Paul's  conversion. 


9:  32-35.]  ACTS  IX.  125 

Chapter  9 :  32-43. 

Peter  heals  a  Paralytic  and   raises  Dorcas  to  Life. 

32  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  Peter  went  throughout  all 
parts,  he  came  down  also  to  the  saints  which  dwelt  at 

33  Lydda.     And  there  he  found  a  certain  man  named 
^neas,  which  had  kept  his  bed   eight  years;  for  he 

34  was  palsied.     And  Peter  said  unto  him,  ^l^neas,  Jesus 
Christ  healeth  thee :  ai'ise,  and  make  thy  bed.     And 

35  straightway  he  arose.     And  all  that  dwelt  at  Lydda 
and  in  Sharon  saw  him,  and  they  turned  to  the  Lord. 

Feter  heals  a  Parahjiic  and  raises  Dorcas  to  Life,  vers.  32-48. 

Ver.  82.  As  Peter  went  tbroughout  all  parts.  The  narrative 
now  turns  from  Saul  back  to  Peter,  \shose  name  was  last  mentioned  in 
connexion  .with  the  woi"k  in  Samaria  (8:  14).  He  was  oif  on  a  tour 
of  visitation  of  the  churches,  and  Chryscfstom  observes  that :  'As  the 
commander  of  an  army,  he  went  about  inspecting  the  ranks  to  see 
which  part  was  compact,  which  in  good  order,  which  required  his 
presence.' — Lydda.  A  city  of  considerable  size,  about  a  day's  jour- 
ney from  Jerusalem.  It  was,  previous  to  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  a.  d. 
70,  the  seat  of  a  famous  Jewish  school.  St.  George,  the  patron  saint 
of  England,  was  a  native  of  Lydda.  In  the  Mohammedan  tradition, 
the  gate  of  this  city  will  be  the  scene  of  the  final  combat  between 
Christ  and  antichrist.  It  was  ruined  in  the  JeAvish  war,  but  was  sub- 
sequently rebuilt  by  the  Romans,  when  it  received  the  name  of  Dios- 
polis,  'City  of  Zeus'  (Jupiter).  In  the  fourth  century  it  became  the 
seat  of  a  well-known  bishopric.  The  modern  town,  which  with  its 
tall  minaret  is  seen  on  the  plain  between  Joppa  and  Ramleh,  is  known 
by  its  ancient  name  Lidd  or  Ludd. 

Yer.  33.  A  certain  man  named  .Slneas.  From  the  name, 
which  is  Greek,  the  palsied  man  was  probably  a  Grecian  Jew. 

Yer.  34.  Jesus  Christ  healeth  thee.  The  language  of  Peter 
here,  as  in  the  case  of  the  lame  man  (3  :  7)  is  very  diiferent  from  his 
Master's  in  similar  cases.  The  disciple  performed  his  miracle  in  the 
name  and  power  of  Jesus.  The  Redeemer  commanded  with  kingly 
majesty  in  such  terms  as,  '  Take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk  '  (Mark  2 :  9)  ; 
'  Damsel,  I  sav  unto  thee,  Arise '  (Mark  5  :  41) ;  '  Lazarus,  come  forth' 
(John  11:  43V 

Ver.  35.  Sharon.  A  beautiful  plain  extending  along  the  coast 
of  Palestine  for  some  thirty  miles  between  Joppa  and  Ciesarea.  It  is 
frequently  noticed  in  the  poetical  books  of  the  Old  Testament.  So 
Isaiah,  who  (35  :  2)  writes  of  '  the  excellency  of  Carmel  and  Sharon  ;' 
and  Solomon  in  the  Song  of  Songs  (2:  1)  tells  us  of  'the  rose  of 
Sharon.'  In  the  chronicles  of  the  Crusades,  '  the  forest  of  Saron  '  was 
the  scene  of  one  of  the  most  romantic  adventures  of  Richard. 


126  ACTS  IX.  [9:  36-38. 

36  Now  there  was  at  Joppa  a  certain  disciple  named 
Tabitha,  which  by  interpretation  is  called  ^Dorcas: 
this  woman  was  full  of  good  works  and  almsdeeds 

37  which  she  did.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days, 
that   she    fell    sick,    and   died :  and  when    they  had 

38  washed  her,  they  laid  her  in  an  upper  chamber.  And 
as  Lydda  was  nigh  unto  Joppa,  the  disciples,  hearing 
that  Peter  was  there,  sent  two  men  unto  him,  intreat- 

1  That  is,  Gazelle. 

Ver.  36.  There  was  at  Joppa.  Joppa  {beaut?/)  was  the  port  of 
Jerusalem  in  the  days  of  Solomon,  as  it  has  been  ever  since.  It  be- 
longed to  the  tribe  of  Dan  (Josh.  19  :  46),  and  was  originally  a  Philis- 
tine city.  Here  the  cedar  wood  and  materials  for  Solomon's  temple 
were  landed,  and  here  Jonah  '  took  ship  to  flee  from  the  presence  of 
his  Maker.'  At  the  period  referred  to  in  this  chapter,  Joppa  was  a 
flourisliiug  city,  but  was  ruined  in  the  Jewish  war  with  Rome.  ^"The 
present  name  of  the  town  is  Jaffa.  It  is  still  the  principal  harbor  of 
Palestine,  and  the  majority  of  the  tourists  to  Palestine  land  there.  A 
flourishing  German  colony,  founded  in  1857,  is  doing  much  for  the 
place.  A  carriage  road  connects  it  with  Jerusalem,' which  is  thirty- 
live  miles  off.  The  present  population  is  8,000.  The  house  of  Simon 
the  tanner,  where  Peter  lodged,  purports  to  be  shown  still. — Tabitha, 
■which  by  interpretation  is  called  Dorcas.  'Tabitha'  is  an 
Aramaic  form  of  the  Hebrew  word  for  'gazelle,'  the  gazelle  being  re- 
garded as  the  standard  of  beauty.  '  Dorcas '  was  its  Greek  equivalent. 
As  Jit  Joppa  both  the  Hebrew  and  Gx'eek  languages  were  used,  it  is 
likely  this  woman  was  known  by  both  names. — Full  of  good  works 
and  almsdeeds.  The  life  which  the  earliest  preachers  of  Chris- 
tianity recommended  was  eminently  a  practical  and  active  one.  The 
life  of  contemplation,  of  monastic  seclusion,  was  evidently  unknown 
and  unheard  of  in  the  Church  of  the  first  days  ;  siich  a  life  was  the 
development  of  a  later  age.  ■^The  expression  'full  of  is  a  favorite  one 
with  Luke:  'full  of  leprosy'  (Luke  5:  12);  'full  of  faith'  (Acts  6:  5, 
8),  etc. 

Ver.  37.  "When  they  had  washed  her.  Wordsworth  calls 
attention  to  this  account  of  the  dead  Dorcas,  being  the  third  instance 
in  this  book  of  reference  to  the  decencies  of  Christian  burial.  Chrysos- 
tom,  ho  goes  on  to  say,  contrasts  the  quietness  of  this  laying  out  of 
Dorcas  with  the  great  lamentation  over  Stephen  (chap.  8:  2).  Death, 
the  followers  of  Jesus  had  now  learned  to  regard  with  greater  calmness. 
See  Paul's  reproof  of  immoderate  grief  for  the  dead  in  his  earliest 
Epistle  (1  Thoss.  4:  13-18). 

Ver.  38.  Lydda  was  nigh  unto  Joppa.  About  ten  miles 
away. 


9:  39-43.]  ACTS  IX.  127 

S9  ing  him,  Delay  not  to  come  on  unto  us.  And  Peter 
arose  and  went  with  them.  And  when  he  was  come, 
they  brought  him  into  the  upper  chamber:  and  all  the 
widows  stood  by  him  Aveeping,  and  shewing  the  coats 
and  garments  which  Dorcas  made,  while  she  was  with 

40  them.  But  Peter  put  them  all  forth,  and  kneeled 
down,  and  prayed ;  and  turning  to  the  body,  he  said, 
Tabitha,  arise.     And  she  opened  her  eyes ;  and  when 

41  she  saw  Peter,  she  sat  up.  And  he  gave  her  his  hand, 
and  raised  her  up ;  and  calling  the  saints  and  widows, 

42  he  presented  her  alive.   And  it  became  known  through - 

43  out  all  Joppa  :  and  many  believed  on  the  Lord.  And 
it  came  to  pass,  that  he  abode  many  days  in  Joppa 
with  one  Simon  a  tanner. 

Ver.  39.  The  coats  and  garments.  'Coats'  refers  to  the  inner 
clothing;   'garments'  signifies  the  outer  mantle. 

Ver.  40.  Peter  put  them  all  forth.  Following  the  example  of 
Christ  (Mark  5:  40),  to  avoid  anything  like  a  crowd  of  curious  specta- 
tors in  the  hushed  and  solemn  death-chamber,  at  the  moment  when 
the  soul  should  retui-n  to  the  body.  Elisha,  when  he  raised  to  life  the 
Shunammite's  son  (2  Kings  4:  33),  did  the  same  thing. — Kneeled 
down,  and  prayed.  So  Elijah,  when  he  raised  the  son  of  the  widow 
of  Zarepthah,  'cried  unto  the  Lord,'  and  Elisha,  in  the  case  of  the 
Shunammite's  son,  'prayed  unto  the  Lord.'  Jesus,  without  any  pre- 
ceding praijcr,  restored  to  life  the  son  of  the  widow  of  Nain  and  the 
daughter  of  Jairus.  In  the  case  of  the  raising  of  Lazarus,  he  thanked 
the  Father  heforchnnd  for  his  power  over  life  and  death,  confident  that 
he  still  possessed  the  keys  of  death  and  the  grave. 

*Ver.  43.  Simon  a  tanner.  The  occupation  of  tanning  was 
considered  defiling  by  the  stricter  Jews.  It  was  regarded  as  a  suffi- 
cient ground  for  divorce,  if  the  husband  concealed  the  fact  that  he  was 
a  tanner  before  his  marriage.  Peter,  by  his  stay  with  the  tanner 
whom  the  stricter  Jews  would  have  avoided,  was  being  prepared  for 
his  experiences  in  the  next  chapter  when  the  great  truth  was  to  be 
made  prominent,  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons. 

*Practical  Notes. — To  the  Apostles  was  given  the  power  of  working  miracles.  Mira- 
cles confirmed  their  authontj'.  and  contributed  to  the  progress  of  the  Church.  But 
the  Apostles  did  not  perform  them  in  their  own  name,  but  by  the  invocation  of  Christ's 
power,  nor  for  their  own  glory,  but  for  the  glory  of  Christ.— Paralysis  is  a  symbol  of 
the  helplessness  of  the  sinner.  When  we  were  yet  without  strength,  Christ  died  for 
us. — Women  had  taken  a  prominent  part  in  the  activity  of  the  Church  from  its  very 
beginning.    It  has  been  the  be.aeficent  influence  of  Christianity  to  lift  woman  out  of 


ACTS  X.  [10:   1. 


Chapter  10:  1-8. 

Tlie  Vision  of  Cornelius  the  Centurion. 
10 :  1     Now  the7'e  ivas  a  certain  man  in  Csesarea,  Corne- 
lius by  name,  a  centurion  of  the  band  called  the  Italian 

her  abased  condition,  and  to  open  to  her  a  wide  sphere  of  usefulness  in  the  Church. 
Her  beneficent  ministry  from  the  time  of  Dorcas  has  contributed  in  all  Christian 
lands  to  the  alleviation  of  suffering. — The  Christian  Church  is  not  merely  an  organiza- 
tion which  conserves  a  system  of  doctrinal  truths  ;  it  is  a  living  organism  full  of  sym- 
pathy and  deeds  of  mercy  (ver.  38).  Its  principal  aim  is  to  lift  up  tlie  soul ;  but  like 
its  founder,  it  does  not  neglect  the  body.  Its  object  is  to  make  men  happy  and  good 
in  this  world  as  well  as  in  the  world  to  come. 

The  Vision  of  Cornelius,  the  Centurion,  vers.  1-8. 

The  careful  comparison  of  the  several  parts  of  this  section  of  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles  one  with  another  is  of  great  importance.  Worked 
out  after  the  manner  of  the  Horse  PauUnse,  it  leads  to  evidential  results 
of  considerable  value.  With  the  direct  narrative  are  to  be  compared — 
(1)  The  account  of  Cornelius  given  by  his  messengers;  (2)  Petei-'s  ac- 
count of  his  own  experience  to  Cornelius;  (3)  Cornelius's  account,  in 
turn,  of  his  own  experience  to  Peter;  (4)  Peter's  apologetic  account  at 
Jerusalem.  To  fulfil  the  conditions  of  the  argument  drawn  from  '  un- 
designed coincidences,'  these  various  sections  must  be  in  harmony  with 
one  another;  yet  they  must  have  sufficient  variation  to  suit  their  seve- 
ral occasions;  and  those  variations  must  not  be  contrived:  the  whole 
must  fit  easily  and  naturally  together.  These  particulars  will  be  no- 
ticed as  we  go  on,  and  the  result  will  be  summed  up  at  the  close  in  an 
Excursus  on  the  two  accounts  of  the  conversion  of  Cornelius. 

Ver.  1.  Now  there  was  a  certain  man.  The  particle  'now' 
(Je)  serves  to  connect  this  narrative  with  the  latter  part  of  the  pre- 
ceding chapter.  The  work  of  Peter  at  Lydda  and  elsewhere  was  the 
preparation  for  what  is  now  about  to  be  recounted.  His  residence  at 
Joppa  was  locally  the  starting  point  for  the  momentous  mission  pre- 
sently to  be  undertaken.  All  this  sacred  history,  both  in  its  outward 
circumstances  and  in  the  apostle's  personal  experience,  is  arranged  on 
a  providential  plan.  It  is  not  easy,  nor  is  it  necessary,  to  fix  the  pre- 
cise chronological  relations  between  the  preaching  of  Christianity  to 
the  Gentiles  at  Antioch  (11:  22-30)  and  the  conversion  of  Cornelius, 
narrated  in  this  chapter.  Eeuss  gives  precedence  to  the  events  which 
occurred  at  Antioch :  and  certainly  the  first  Gentile  Church  was  there ; 
the  name  'Christian'  came  into  existence  there;  and  Antioch  became 
the  Jerusalem  of  Gentile  Christianity.  But  this  priority  in  time  can- 
not be  proved.  It  is  an  undoubted  fact  that  Cijesarea  is  set  before  us 
as  the  scene  of  the  beginning  of  the  reception  of  the  Gentiles  on  equal 
terms  with  the  Jews  into  the  Church  in  which  Paul  afterwards  so 
much  gloried  (Eph.  3:  3-6;  Col.  1:  26,  27),  and  Cornelius  was  the 


10:  2.]  ACTS  X.  129 

2  ^band,  a  devout  man,  and  one  that  feared  God  with 
all  his  house,  who  gave  much  alms  to  the  people,  and 

1  Or,  cohort. 

first  typical  example  of  Gentile  Christendom. — In  Caesarea.  Some 
notice  of  this  place  has  already  been  given  (8:  40;  9:  3U).  The  city 
is  very  conspicuous  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  It  was  of  the  utmost 
importance  at  this  time,  partly  in  connection  with  the  Roman  road 
along  the  coast,  but  still  more  because  of  its  harbor,  by  which  it  com- 
municated with  all  the  West.  This  harbor  is  said  by  Josephus  to  have 
rivalled  that  of  the  Pirteus.  Its  great  breakwater  may  be  compared 
with  that  of  Cherbourg  in  our  own  day.  Tacitus  says  that  Caesarea 
was  '  the  head  of  Judaea.'  It  was  specially  a  Gentile  city.  The  Jews 
were  relatively  less  numerous  there  than  in  any  other  part  of  Palestine. 
It  was  a  Pagan  metropolis  in  the  Holy  Land,  and  when  Palestine  was 
a  Roman  province,  the  governor  resided  here.  Here,  too,  were  the 
chief  quarters  of  the  soldiers,  who  kept  the  land  in  subjection,  whether 
under  Herodian  kings  or  under  Roman  governors.  There  was  some- 
thing providential,  if  we  may  say  so,  in  the  fact  that  Jerusalem  never 
became  the  Roman  capital,  but  always  retained  its  Hebrew  charac- 
ter.—  Cornelius  by  name,  a  centurion  of  the  band,  etc. 
In  these  two  verses  we  have  information  as  to  what  he  was — (1)  na- 
tionally and  officially,  and  (2)  in  personal  character.  His  was  a  very 
distinguished  name.  No  gens  was  better  known  in  the  Roman  annals 
than  the  Cornelian.  He  was  probably  a  true-born  Roman.  *The  cen- 
turion commanded  a  sixtieth  part  of  a  legion  (6,000  men)  or  100  men. 
Two  centurions  are  mentioned  in  the  life  of  our  Lord  and  honorably. 
The  one  a  centurion  of  Capernaum,  besought  Christ  to  heal  his  servant, 
and  his  faith  was  so  great  that  Christ  is  said  to  have  marvelled  at  it 
(Matt.  8:1).  The  second  commanded  the  company  of  soldiers  which 
preserved  order  on  the  day  of  the  crucifixion.  Touched  by  the  con- 
duct of  Jesus  on  the  cross  and  the  attendant  signs,  he  exclaimed, 
'Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God'  (Matt.  27:  54).— The  Italian 
band.  This  title  seems  to  indicate  a  company  of  true-born  Italians. 
Gloag  and  Alexander  compare  the  position  of  this  cohort  in  Judaea 
with  that  of  a  British  regiment  in  India,  as  distinguished  from  Sepoy 
or  native  troops.  Gloag  suggests  that  it  may  have  been  '  the  body- 
guard of  the  Roman  governor.'  But  this  is  an  error.  Judaea  was  not 
at  this  time  a  province  under  a  Roman  governor,  but  a  kingdom  under 
Herod  Agrippa  I.  (12:  1,19).  The  Italic  cohort  was  probably  a  de- 
tached body  of  troops,  and  identical  with  a  cohort  of  Italian  volunteers 
in  Syria,  which  is  mentioned  in  an  ancient  inscription  adduced  by 
Akerman  {Numismatic  Illustrations  of  the  New  Testament.,  p.  33,  a  trea- 
tise which  ought  not  to  be  overlooked  in  any  commentary  on  this  book 
of  the  Bible).     An  'Augustan'  band  is  mentioned  in  ch.  27:  1. 

Ver.  2.     A  devout  man,  etc.     The  particulars  contained  in  this 
verse  are  copious  and  impressive.     It  is  useful  to  enumerate  them 


130  ACTS  X.  [10:  3. 

3  prayed  to  God  alway.  He  saw  in  a  vision  openly,  as 
it  were  about  the  ninth  hour  of  the  day,  an  angel  of 
God  coming  in  unto  him,  and  saying  to  him,  Cor- 

separately  :  (1)  He  was  a  *  devout'  or  religious  man.  The  word  '  de- 
vout '  {euscben)  has  reference  simply  to  personal  character,  and  is 
different  from  the  other  word  [sebomenos)  similarly  translated  else- 
Avhere  (Acts  17:  4),  and  denoting  a  proselyte  to  Judaism.  (2)  He 
'  feared  God.'  This  phrase  in  Scripture  denotes  that  all  the  concerns 
of  life  and  duty  are  referred  to  God.  As  employed  of  Cornelius,  it 
implies  that  he  had  given  up  the  polytheism  in  which  he  had  been 
brought  up.  (3)  '  With  all  his  house.'  This  exhibits  his  religion  in  a 
wider  scope,  and  gives  us  a  still  higher  view  of  his  character.  His 
household  was  negulated  on  religious  principles  (ver.  7).  (4)  lie  gave 
'much  alms.'  His  charities  were  not  scanty,  but  liberal  and  large. 
(5)  These  alms  were  given  to  the  people,  that  is,  to  the  Jewish  people. 
"This  is  a  very  expressive  feature  in  the  portrait.  Mr.  Humphrey  says 
very  well  here :  '  His  almsgiving  was  the  more  remarkable,  as  being 
contrary  to  the  practice  of  Roman  officers,  who  generally  plundered 
the  provincials  to  the  utmost.'  This  particular  co-ordinates  Cornelius 
with  that  centurion  in  the  Gospel  history  who  erected  synagogues  at 
his  own  expense  (Lid^e  7  :  5).  (6)  He  was  a  man  of  constant  prayer. 
Prayer  with  him  was  not  a  mere  impulse,  but  a  habit.  Dr.  Adam 
Clarke  says  of  Cornelius  :  '  He  was  ever  in  the  spirit  of  prayer,  and 
often  in  the  act.'  Further  illustrations  of  the  character  of  Cornelius 
will  come  to  view  as  Ave  proceed.  But  meanwhile  it  demands  our  ob- 
servation that  a  man  so  eminently  good  should  be  placed  at  the  head 
of  all  Gentile  Christianity.  This  was,  as  the  Same  commentator  says, 
'  a  proper  person  to  be  the  connecting  link  between  the  two  peoples.' 
Just  as  the  Apostles  were  men  of  high  character,  so  it  is  here.  John 
and  (probably)  Peter  were  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist.  Paul  had 
always  been  marked  by  a  strong  zeal  for  religion,  and  for  a  strictly 
moral  life.  So  the  great  representative  Gentile  convert  was  a  man  of 
the  highest  character.  Salvation  is  indeed  available  for  the  worst  sin- 
ners, and  the  Avorst  sinners  may  become  great  saints;  but  in  the  choice 
of  the  conspicuous  members  of  the  earliest  Church,  no  special  honor 
is  put  upon  reclaimed  profligates. 

Ver.  3.  He  saw  in  a  vision  openly.  The  language  seems 
carefully  chosen  so  as  to  assei-t  the  absolute  distinctness  of  the  vision. 
This  was  not  a  dream  or  a  trance.  His  own  language  afterwards  (10  : 
30)  is  that  '  a  man  stood  before  him  in  bright  apparel.' — About  the 
ninth  hour  of  the  day.  The  ninth  hour,  or  three  in  the  after- 
noon, was  one  of  the  stated  Jewish  hours  of  prayers.  It  was  at  this 
time  that  Peter  and  John  went  to  the  Temple  (3:  1).  Cornelius  was 
engaged  in  prayer  (10:  30).  Thus  it  is  evident  that  he  had  adopted 
some  of  the  Jewish  regulations  affecting  prayer.  The  whole  tone  of 
the  narrative,  however,  conveys  the  impression  that  Cornelius  was  not 


10:  4,  5.]  ACTS  X.  131 

4  nelius.  And  he,  fastening  his  eyes  upon  hira,  and 
being  affrighted,  said,  A\  hat  is  it,  Lord?  And  he  said 
unto  him,  Thy  prayers  and  thine  alms  are  gone  up  for 

5  a  memorial  before  God.    And  now  send  men  to  Joppa, 

a  proselyte  to  the  Jewish  religion  in  the  sense  of  having  been  circum- 
cised, tie  seems  simply  to  have  been  drawn  into  sympathy  with  it 
on  its  moral  and  spiritual  side.  Thus  it  is  correct  to  say  that  he  -was 
'the  first  Pagan  baptized  by  an  apostle.'  *It  is  evident  from  ver.  28 
that  he  was  still  reckoned  among  the  heathen.  There  can  be  little 
doubt  that  among  the  thousands  of  Christians  some  had  been  drawn 
from  the  class  of  proselytes  from  heathenism  to  the  Jewish  religion  f6: 
5).  It  -was  the  fict  that  Cornelius  was  an  out  and  out  heathen,  and 
had  not  conformed  to  the  Jewish  regulations  for  proselytes  that  made 
his  case  the  occasion  of  such  a  stir  in  Jerusalem  (11 :  1-18  sqq.). — . 
An  angel.  This  fact  would  vreigh  forcibly  with  the  Apostles  and 
elders  at  Jerusalem  when  these  occurrences  were  brought  before  them, 
and  Peter  (11 :  13)  laid  stress  upon  it. — Saying  to  him,  Cornelius. 
This  addressing  of  the  person  by  name  is,  again,  according  to  the 
analogy  of  the  visions  recorded  in  the  Bible,  as  in  the  cases  of  Samuel 
in  the  Old  Testament,  and  Paul  at  his  conversion. 

Yer.  4.  For  a  memorial  before  God.  His  prayers  were  to 
be  openly  recollected  and  his  charities  rewarded  (ver.  31):  a  record 
had  been  entered  in  heaven,  so  that  an  answer  should  come  in  due 
season.  The  language  is  similar  to  that  which  is  used  by  the  LXX.  in 
reference  to  the  burnt-offering  in  Lev.  2:  2.  The  prayers  and  alma 
of  Cornelius  were  sacrifices  with  which  God  was  well  pleased  (Heb, 
13:  16).  They  were  proofs  that  grace  was  really  working  in  the 
heart  of  Cornelius. 

Ver.  5.  *Send  men  to  Joppa.  This  was  the  town  where  we 
left  Peter  after  he  had  raised  Dorcas  to  life  (9  :  36).  He  was  stopping 
with  Simon  the  tanner.  Joppa  was  thirty  miles  south  of  Caesarea. — 
Simon,  -who  is  surnamed  Peter.  It  is  very  observable  that 
this  exact  phrase  is  found  four  times  in  this  narrative  (10:  18,  32; 
11 :  13).  We  are  reminded  of  the  Lord's  own  emphatic  naming  of 
Simon  (John  1:  42;  Matt.  16:  18).  The  exact  designation  of  Peter 
who  was  to  bring  the  Gospel  to  Cornelius  is  an  essential  part  of  the 
transaction.  The  divine  direction  is  perceptible  in  evei-y  act  and 
word  recorded.  Reuss  says  :  '  It  was  not  less  necessary  to  interest 
Peter  in  this  new  way.  ...  A  subsidiary  revelation  was  indispensable 
to  convince  him  that  a  Pagan  could  receive  baptism,  a  thing  he  was 
heretofore  ignorant  of,  and  which  his  colleagues  had  difficulty  in  ac- 
cepting.' {Hint.  ApostoL,  p.  122).  The  exact  designation  of  Peter 
deserves  notice  also,  from  another  point  of  view.  Cornelius  was  to  be 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  Christ  by  the  instrumentality  of  a  vian, 
and  not  of  the  angel.  Moreover,  he  is  to  be  brought  to  this  knowledge 
bj  an  apostle.     This  was   not  a  commonplace  instance  of  conversion. 


132  ACTS  X.  [10:  6-8. 

6  and  fetch  one  Simon,  who  is  surnamed  Peter :  he 
lodgeth  with  one  Simon  a  tanner,  whose  house  is  by 

7  the  sea  side.  And  when  the  angel  that  spake  unto 
him  was  departed,  he  called  two  of  his  household- 
servants,  and  a  devout  soldier  of  them  that  waited  on 

8  him  continually;  and  having  rehearsed  all  things  unto 
them,  he  sent  them  to  Joppa. 

Philip  the  Evangelist  was  probably  then  at  Cnesarea  (8 :  40 ;  21 :  8) ; 
but  this  would  not  suffice.  Reuss  remarks  that  the  baptism  of  Cor- 
nelius by  an  apostle  would  be  likely  to  make  a  stir  and  noise  through- 
out Palestine.  The  apostle,  too,  was  to  be  Peter,  one  of  the  most 
Judaic.  It  was  important  that  he,  the  most  active  and  influential 
apostle  should  be  gained.  The  occurrence  in  Samaria  (8  :  14-17)  had 
by  no  means  yet  removed  all  his  prejudices. 

Ver.  6.  Whose  house  is  by  the  sea  side.  The  Mediterranean. 
The  position  of  Simon's  house  might  have  some  reference  to  the  con- 
venience of  his  trade.  Moreover,  he  may  have  been  forced  to  live 
there,  because  of  some  ceremonial  uncleanness  connected  in  the  Jewish 
mind  with  tanning.  It  is  a  direction  of  the  Mischna  that  dead  bodies, 
sepulchres,  and  tan-yards  are  'to  be  at  least  fifty  cubits  from  the  city.' 
Thus  the  very  position  of  Peter's  lodging  may  have  had  something  to 
do  with  the  preparation  of  his  mind  for  the  startling  duty  that  lay 
before  him.  At  all  events,  his  temporary  home  at  Joppa  was  not  a 
place  of  any  distinction  and  honor;  and  this,  too,  is  significant. 

Ver.  7.  A  devout  soldier.  'This  man  is  described  as  like  his 
commander  in  religious  character,  and  therefore  peculiarly  well  fitted 
for  the  service  now  assigned  to  him.  Although  not  affirmed,  it  seema 
to  be  implied  that  the  other  two  messengers  were  like-minded ;  so  that 
we  have  here  the  interesting  case  of  a  whole  Gentile  household  brought, 
by  intercourse  with  Jews  and  by  the  grace  of  God,  to  the  very  thresh- 
old of   the  true  religion'  (Alexander). 

Ver.  8.  Having  rehearsed  all  things  unto  them.  This  would 
include  the  vision,  the  divine  command  and  the  expected  revelation. 
How  they  performed  their  errand  we  see  below  (ver.  22). 

•Practical  Notes.— The  time  had  come  to  settle  the  relation  of  the  Gentile  world 
to  the  Gospel.  The  Church  had  spread  to  Samaria  and  to  Damascus,  and  proselytes 
from  heathenism  like  Nicolas  (Acts  6  :  5)  had  received  baptism.  But  it  yet  remained 
to  settle  the  question  whether  the  Gentiles  were  to  be  admitted  on  an  equal  footing 
with  the  Jews  to  the  saving  benefits  of  the  Gospel.  Paul  was  the  first  to  preach  Christ 
with  boldness  and  extensively  beyond  the  pale  of  the  Jewish  Church.  But  Peter  was 
chosen  as  the  one  to  whom  the  truth  should  first  be  expounded,  that  '  God  is  no  re- 
specter of  persons.'  He  was  himself  strong  in  his  Jewish  prejudices ;  but  he  accepted 
the  divine  revelation,  and  admitted  the  first  Gentile  into  the  Church. — God  had  His 
servants  in  other  nationalities  than  among  the  Jews.    Ruth  the  Moabitess  chose  God 


10:9.]  ACTS  X.  133 

Chapter  10:  9-16. 

Peter^s  Trance  at  Joppa. 

9      Now  on  the  morrow,  as  they  were  on  their  journey, 
and  drew  nigh  unto  the  city,  Peter  went  up  upon  the 

for  her  Lord,  and  became  the  ancestress  of  Jesna.  The  Syro-Phcenician  mother  (Matt. 
15 :  21-28)  received  a  rich  blessing  frjm  the  Master,  and  Cornelius,  before  he  became 
a  Christian,  wag  assured  by  the  angel  that  his  religious  devotions  were  acceptablfi. 
There  is  a  spirit  of  religion  which  is  sometimes  unaccompanied  by  the  true  form  of 
religion.  This  Cornelius  had.  Although  he  was  not  a  Jew,  he  was  a  child  of  God. — 
A  soldier  may  belong  to  the  armies  of  the  cross.  The  Gospel  is  designed  to  spread 
peace ;  but  the  sword  seems  to  be  indispensable,  at  times,  in  the  present  condition  of 
the  world.  The  faith  of  another  Roman  captain  was  not  only  a  subject  for  surprise 
to  Christ,  but  was  pronounced  by  him  to  be  greater  than  any  faith  he  had  found  in 
Israel  (Matt.  8:  10).  Gustavus  Adolphus  and  Sir  Henry  Havelock  in  the  army  and 
Admiral  Coligny  and  Commodore  Goodenough  in  the  navy  are  good  illustrations  that 
a  brave  soldier  may  be  a  devout  Christian. — Prayers  and  alms  are  memorials  moving 
Gk)d  to  bestow  blessings.  The  soul  that  communes  with  the  Father  feels  assured  that 
his  voice  reaches  the  divine  ear,  and  his  prayer  bears  a  necessary  relation  to  the  be- 
stowment  of  benefit-*.  '  Ask  and  ye  shall  receive '  is  a  sentence  the  two  parts  of  which 
human  philosophy  may  not  be  able  to  reconcile  in  view  of  an  omniscient  and  un- 
changeable God,  but  one  which  faith  cannot  doubt,  but  fully  leans  upon. — The  embassy 
of  the  Gentile  centurion  to  Peter  was  one  of  the  first  indications  of  that  need  and 
longing  of  the  heathen  world  which  uttprpd  themselves  in  the  strong  appeal  of  the 
Macedonian  to  Paul :  '  Come  over  and  help  us '  (Acts  IG :  9). 

Peter's  Trance  at  Joppa,  vers,  9-16. 

Ver.  9.  On  the  morrow.  The  messengers  started  late  in  the 
afternoon,,  and  would  naturally  arrive  about  the  middle  of  the  next 
day,  if  they  travelled  by  night  which  was  according  to  the  custom  of 
the  country  (Luke  11:  5,  6). — Upon  the  housetop  to  pray.  It 
was  in  the  exercise  of  prayer  that  Cornelius  saw  the  angel  who  told 
him  to  send  for  Peter;  it  was  in  tho  same  exercise  that  Peter  fell  into 
the  trance.  It  was  through  the  meeting  of  these  two  streams  of  secret 
prayer  that  the  conversion  of  Cornelius  took  place.  The  familiar  lines 
in  Keble's  Christian  Year  give  a  good  commentary  on  this  coincidence 
of  prayer. 

'  Unheard  by  all  but  angel  ears, 
The  good  Cornelius  knelt  alone. 


The  saint  beside  the  ocean  prayed, 
The  soldier  in  his  chosen  bower. 

To  each  unknown  his  brother's  prayer. 
Yet  brethren  true  in  dearest  love 
Were  they.' 


134  ACTS  X.  [10:  10-13. 

10  housetop  to  pray,  about  the  sixth  hour :  and  he  be- 
came hungry,  and  desired  to  eat :  but  while  they  made 

11  ready,  he  fell  into  a  trance;  and  he  beholdeth  the 
heaven  opened,  and  a  certain  vessel  descending,  as  it 
were  a  great  sheet,  let  down  by  four  corners  upon  the 

12  earth :  wherein  were  all  manner  of  fourfooted  beasts 
and  creeping  things  of  the  earth  and  fowls  of  the  hea- 

13  ven.     And  there  came  a  voice  to  him.  Rise,  Peter ; 

The  flat  roofs  of  Eastern  houses  are  well  adapted  for  prayer  and 
meditation.  For'Biblical  illustrations,  see  Deut.  22:  8;  2  Kings  23: 
12;  Jer.  19:  13;  Zeph.  1:5;  Luke  5  :  19. 

Ver.  10.  Sixth  hour.  Noon.  He  became  hungry.  The  vision 
presented  to  hiui  in  the  trance  was  adapted  to  the  physical  condition 
in  which  he  was  a*t  the  moment. — Desiied  to  eat.  Peter  did  not 
refer  at  Jerusalem  to  this  circumstance,  but  did  very  expressly  state 
that  he  was  engaged  in  jym?/e/- when  he  fell  into  the  trance.  To  the 
Apostles  and  elders  this  would  be  an  argument  of  great  force.  With 
all  their  prejudices,  they  knew  that  prayer  was  the  appointed  path 
towards  divine  enlightenment,  and  the  appointed  help  for  the  discharge 
of  duty. — He  fell  into  a  trance.  Literally,  an  ecstasy  [fkstasis). 
This  preternatural  !-tate  of  mind  of  Peter  is  to  be  contrasted  with  the 
full  retention  of  his  natural  faculties  with  which  Corn'lius  saAV  the 
angel.  Chrysostom  says  of  Peter's  trance  that  'the  soul,  so  to  speak, 
was  withdrawn  from  the  body'  (2  Cor.  12:  1-3). — Descending.  In 
Peter's  own  vivid  account  afterwards  (11 :  5),  he  says,  'It  came  even 
unto  me.'  The  impression  conveyed  is  that  the  great  sheet  not  only 
floated  from  heaven,  but  gradually  approached  Peter,  so  as  to  invite 
his  close  examination. 

Ver.  11.  *Let  do^wn  by  four  corners.  As  if  it  was  suspended 
by  four  cords  from  the  opened  heaven.  The  extended  sheet  signified 
the  wide  earth  and  the  four  corners  the  four  parts  of  the  world  (Augus- 
tine, etc.).  No  more  appropriate  place  could  be  found  for  such  a  sym- 
bolical transaction  than  on  the  sh()res  of  the  Mediterranean,  whose  waters 
washed  the  great  cities  of  Southern  Europe  and  Northern  Africa  as  well 
as  the  Western  Coast  of  Asia,  the  three  continents  then  known  to  the  race. 

Ver.  12.  All  manner  of  fourfooted  beasts.  It  is  useless  to 
speculate  on  the  way  in  which  the  impression  of  the  appearance  of 
'air  animals  was  conveyed.  Calvin  says  very  justly:  'We  must  not 
measure  this  seeing  according  to  the  manner  of  men,  because  the  trance 
gave  Peter  other  eyes,'  We  must  conceive  of  those  animals  which  were 
ceremonially  unclean  as  being  more  peculiarly  conspicuous  in  the  vision. 

Ver.  13.  Rise,  Peter.  He  may  have  been  reposing,  or  he  may 
have  been  on  his  knees  in  prayer.  The  voice  addresses  him  by  name, 
as  in  the  cases  of  Moses  (Ex.  3:  4),  Samuel  (1  Sam.  3:  lOj,  Cornelius 
(Acts  10:  3),  and  Paul  (9:  4). 


10:  14,  15.]  ACTS  X.  135 

14  kill  and  eat.     But  Peter  said,  Xot  so,  Lord ;  for  I 
have  never  eaten  any  thing  that  is  common  and  unclean. 

15  And  a  voice  came  unto  him  asiain  the  second  time, 
AVhat  God    hath  cleansed,  make  not   thou  common. 


Ver.  14.  Not  so,  Lord.  This  expostulation  is  quite  according  to 
the  analogy  of  divine  visions  recorded  in  Scripture,  as  -when  Paul 
expostulated  in  the  Temple,  when  he  was  required  to  quit  Jerusalem 
(22:  10).  "^The  reply  is  in  harmony  with  Peter's  character.  On 
former  occasions  he  had  expostulated  with  Jesus,  as  when  he  announced 
his  passion,  he  exclaimed,  ' Ce  it  far  from  thee.  Lord'  (Matt.  10:  22), 
and  when  he  was  washing  the  disciples'  feet,  Peter  said,  'Thou  shalt 
never  wash  my  feet'  (John  lo:  8). — I  have  never  eaten  any  thing 
that  is  common  and  unclean.  Peter  had  always  lived  as  a  con- 
scientious and  scrupulous  Jew.  The  command  was  a  contradiction  to 
the  whole  previous  tenor  of  his  life.  No  greater  shock  to  a  Hebrew 
could  be  imagined  than  to  be  told  to  assuage  his  hunger  by  eating  un- 
clean meats.  It  is  recorded  in  the  Second  Book  of  Maccabees  (6:  18; 
7:1)  that  Hebrews  submitted  to  death  that  they  mi^ht  escape  such  an 
indignity.  And  this  distinction  between  clean  and  unclean  beasts  was 
representative  of  the  Jewish  distinction  between  the  Hebrew  nation 
and  all  other  nations.  *The  word  common  is  contrasted  with  holy. 
The  distinction  between  clean  and  unclean  meats  is  laid  down  with 
careful  precision  in  Leviticus  (11,  etc.).  The  camel,  coney,  hare  and 
swine  were  the  chief  among  the  animals  that  were  forbidden,  and  the 
eagle,  vulture,  swan,  heron,  etc.,  among  birds.  The  stricter  Jews  to 
this  day,  will  not  purchase  meat  from  any  but  butchers  of  their  own 
nationality. 

Yer.  15.  W^hat  God  hath  cleansed,  make  not  thou  com- 
mon. The  peremptory  command  now  becomes  the  empliatic  state- 
ment of  a  principle.  We  are  reminded  here  of  certain  words  recorded 
in  the  Gospel  history,  when  Christ  himself  said  that  'not  that  which 
entcreth  into  the  mouth  defileth  the  man'  (Matt.  15:  11).  It  is  very 
important  to  observe  that  it  is  added,  '  this  Christ  said,  making  all  meats 
clean^  (Mark  7  :  19).  Jesus  did  actually,  by  this  discourse  of  his,  make 
all  things  pure.  It  was  Peter  who  directed  Mark  in  the  composition 
of  his  Gospel.  Can  we  doubt,  therefore,  that  those  words  which  he 
had  heard  from  the  Saviour's  lips  flashed  into  his  memory,  when  at 
Joppa  he  heard  that  command  from  heaven,  or  at  least  that  the  recol- 
lection of  them  came  when  he  reflected  on  what  he  had  heard?  This 
thought  is  forcibly  put  by  Canon  Farrar  [Life  and  Work  of  St.  Paul, 
vol  i.  p.  276).  *Bengel  adds,  'Nothing  impure  comes  down  from 
heaven.'  In  the  great  discussion  about  the  admission  of  the  Gentiles 
to  the  Church,  which  took  place  between  the  Apostles  in  Jerusalem 
(ch.  15),  Peter  uses  the  same  word  with  reference  to  the  purifying  of 
the  Gentiles'  hearts  which  is  here  used  of  the  unclean  meats,  God 
^cleansing  (Kaf^apinag)  their  hearts  by  faiih*  (15:  9). 


136  ACTS  X.  [10;  16,  17. 

16  And  this  was  done  thrice :  and  straightway  the  vessel 
was  received  up  into  heaven. 

Chaptek  10:  17-23. 
Reception  of  the  Messengers  from  Cornelius. 

17  Now  while  Peter  was  much  perplexed  in  himself 

Ver.  16.  *Tbis  was  done  thrice.  That  is  the  repetition  of  the 
words.  The  design  evidently  was  to  fix  all  this  occurrence  in  Peter's 
memory,  and  to  convince  him  that  that  which  he  liad  seen  was  no  mere 
dream  or  fancy  of  his  own,  but  a  really  divine  communication. 

*  Practical  Notes. — God  reveals  Himself  to  us  while  we  are  in  the  performance  of 
religious  duties.  It  was  at  the  hour  of  prayer  that  Cornelius  saw  the  vision,  and  it  was 
at  the  sixth  hour  while  Peter  was  again  engaged  in  the  exercise  of  prayer  that  he  re- 
ceived the  divine  communication  — The  shore  of  the  Mediterranean  was  a  fitting  place 
for  the  vision  of  a  Gospel,  for  all  the  nations  and  men.  Its  waters  washed  Enrope  and 
Africa  as  well  as  Asia,  and  as  Peter  lodged  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  tanner  at  Joppa, 
he  must  have  thought  of  the  great  Gentile  world  lying  about  that  sea  out  upon  which 
he  looked.  The  Gospel  had  not  yet  been  preached  to  it.  But  he  must  have  remembered 
Christ's  last  words,  'Go  ye  into  all  th  ;  world  and  preach  the  Gospel '  (Mark  16 :  15).— God 
chooses  fitting  places  for  revealing  new  truths, — Sinai  for  the  Law,  the  grave  of  Lazarus 
for  the  resurrection,  the  port  on  the  Mediterranean  Sea  sending  forth  vessels  to  the 
Gentile  nations,  for  the  truth  that  to  the  Gentiles  the  precious  benefits  of  the  Gospel 
belonged.  He  also  communicates  truth  by  familiar  signs  -the  star  for  the  Wise  Men 
from  the  East,  the  mixing  of  the  unclean  and  clean  meats  for  the  exclusive  Jew. — The 
Gospel  has  transferred  the  realm  of  the  unclean  and  unholy  from  external  objects  to 
the  heart.  The  Jewish  religion  started  from  the  outside,  holy  places,  meats,  days,  etc., 
and  proceeded  inw  .rds  to  sanctify  the  heart.  Christianity  starts  from  the  heart  and 
works  outwards.  Christ  had  already  Illustrated  the  truth  that  '  Nothing  from  without 
entering  into  a  man  defileth  him.'  Defilement  or  holiness  resides  in  the  heart.  A 
heart  consecrated  to  God  will  determine  whether  we  should  eat  with  washen  hands  or 
do  an  act  of  mercy  on  the  Sa'bbath.  But  neither  washen  nor  unwashen  hands,  clean 
nor  unclean  meats,  can  stand  in  the  place  of  a  pure  heart  or  make  one  pure. — The  clean 
and  unclean  animals  in  the  sheet  represent  the  Jews  and  Gentiles  in  the  world.  The 
Jews  were  a  holy  nation  but  now  old  things  were  passed  away,  and  the  birth  at  Bethle- 
hem and  the  cross  on  Calvary  proclaimed  that  all  were  equal  in  the  sight  of  God, 
Because  all  needed  the  blood  of  Christ  (Eph.  2  :  13),  and  Christ  came  to  reconcile  all  to 
God.  Like  the  animals  all  nations  had  come  down  from  heaven  and  like  them  might 
be  lifted  up  to  heaven.— The  knowledge  of  the  Apostles  was  progressive.  Omnisci.  nee 
was  not  conferred  upon  them  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  They  were  gradually  taught 
great  truths.  This  truth  of  the  design  of  the  Gospel  for  all  the  world,  already  an- 
nounced by  the  angels  over  Bethlehem,  'Behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy 
which  shall  be  to  all  people '  (Luke  2 :  10),  they  did  not  yet  understand. 

Reception  of  the  Messengers  from   Cornelius,  vers.  17-23. 
Ver.  17.     Peter -was  much  perplexed  in  himself.     Again  we 


10:  18-21.]  ACTS  X.  137 

what  the  vision  which  he  had  seen  might  mean,  behold, 
the  men  that  were  sent  by  Cornelius,  having  made 

18  inquiry  for  Simon's  house,  stood  before  the  gate,  and 
called  and  asked  whether  Simon,  which  was  surnamed 

19  Peter  were  lodgcino;  there.  And  while  Peter  thouarht  on 
the  vision,  the  Spirit  said  unto  him,  Behold,  three  men 

20  seek  thee.     But  arise,  and  get  thee  down,  and  go  Avith 

21  them,  nothing  doubting :  for  I  have  sent  them.  And 
Peter  went  down  to  the  men,  and  said,  Behold,  I  am 
he  whom  ye  seek  :  what  is  the  cause  Avherefore  ye  are 

should  give  close  attention  to  the  coincidence  of  time.  It  is  manifestly 
intended  that  we  are  to  see  here  the  marks  of  a  providential  prearrange- 
ment.  The  messengers  who  had  been  'drawing  nigh  to  the  city'  when 
the  Apostle's  trance  began  (ver.  9),  were  noAv  actually  at  the  gate  of 
the  house,  where  Peter,  at  the  close  of  the  vision,  was  in  anxious  per- 
plexity concerning  its  meaning. 

Ver.  19.  "While  Peter  thought  on  the  vision.  This  gives 
renewed  emphasis  to  what  is  said  in  ver.  17.  This  phrase  is  stronger. 
He  Avas  silently  pondering  on  the  vision  and  revolving  it  in  his  mind. 
He  could  not  doubt  that  what  he  had  seen  was  intended  for  some  divine 
instruction,  and  that  the  distinction  of  animals  was  now  on  the  highest 
authority  abolished,  may  have  been  made  clear  to  him.  But  the  full 
meaning  of  the  vision  he  was  in  doubt  about.  Only  gradually  is  he 
brought  from  doubt  to  certainty.  He  does  not  knoAv  all  till  he  reaches 
the  house  of  Cornelius. — The  Spirit  said  unto  him.  We  should 
note  here,  with  care,  that  direct  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit  which  is 
made  so  prominent  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  So  truly  is  this  a 
characteristic  of  the  book,  that  it  has  been  termed  '  the  Gospel  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.'  Peter  himself  laid  stress  on  this  direct  interposition  of 
the  Spirit  in  his  account  at  Jerusalem  (11 :  12). 

Ver.  20.  Get  thee  down.  He  descended,  doubtless,  by  an  ex- 
ternal stairway  which  would  bring  him  at  once  to  the  outer  gate,  at 
which  the  messengers  were  standing.  — Go  •with  them.  This  is 
similar  to  the  general  method  of  other  divine  communications  recorded 
in  the  Acts  (22:  22,  23;  27:  26).— I  have  sent  them.  In  the  out- 
ward literal  sense,  Cornelius  had  sent  the  messengers.  But  here  we 
are  brought  to  the  primary  active  will  which  set  all  these  occurrences 
in  motion.  In  other  words,  we  have  before  us  here  the  truth  of  the 
personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Compare  analogous  instances  in  this 
book,  when  Paul  is  to  be  sent  out  on  his  first  missionary  journey  (13: 
2),  and  when  his  course  is  first  directed  to  missionary  work  in  Europe 
(16:  6,  7). 

Ver.  21.  Peter  went  down  to  the  men.  This  coming  down 
the  outside  stairway,  and  suddenly  standing  face  to  ftice  with   the 


138  ACTS  X.  [10 :  22,  23. 

22  come  ?  And  they  said,  Cornelius  a  centurion,  a  righte- 
ous man  and  one  that  feareth  God,  and  well  reported 
of  by  all  the  nation  of  the  Jews,  was  warned  of  God 
by  a  holy  angel  to  send  for  thee  into  his  house,  and  to 

23  hear  words  from  thee.  So  he  called  them  in  and 
lodged  them. 

Chapter  10:  23-33. 

Peter's  Visit  to  and  Reception  hy  Cornelius, 

And  on  the  morrow  he  arose  and  went  forth  with 
them,  and  certain  of  the  brethren  from  Joppa  accom- 

strangers,  -^vith  "whom  he  was  presently  to  make  such  intimate  acquaint- 
ance, is  one  of  the  most  vivid  passages  of  the  nan  ative. — What  is 
the  cause  wherefore  ye  are  come  ?  He  was  entirely  ignorant 
as  yet  of  the  details  of  their  errand  :  and  these  he  was  to  learn,  not 
supernaturally,  but  by  the  usual  methods  of  information.  The  two 
things  which  he  had  learnt  supernaturally  were,  first,  the  general  pre- 
paratory and  as  yet  obscure  lesson  of  the  trance;  and,  secondly,  the 
fact  that  those  men  whom  he  saw  before  him  were  divinely  sent,  and 
that  he  was  to  accompany  them. 

Yer.  22.  Cornelius  ...  a  righteous  man  and  well  reported 
of  by  all  nation  of  the  Jews.  Here,  certain  new  elements  of  the 
character  of  Cornelius  come  to  view.  Cornelius  was  beloved,  trusted, 
and  respected,  not  merely  by  the  Gentiles,  but  by  the  Jews.  It  was 
conciliatory  on  the  part  of  the  messengers  to  mention  these  things,  and 
good  policy  to  lay  stress  on  them.— A  holy  angel  This  is  put  in  a 
form  which  would  be  acceptable  to  Peter  and  the  other  Jews. — To  send 
for  thee.  There  seems  here  to  be  an  apologetic  explanation  of  the 
fact  that  Cornelius  had  not  come  himself. 

Ver.  23.  He  called  them  in  and  lodged  them.  Already 
Peter  seems  to  have  learned  something  of  the  significance  of  the 
trance.  For  a  Jew  to  receive  a  Gentile  as  an  intimate  guest  into  his 
house  was  unlawful.  We  see  from  what  follows  (10:  28;  11 :  3),  that 
to  eat  with  Gentiles  was  abhorrent  to  the  Jews. 

*  Practical  Notes. — See  next  Section. 

Peter's  Visit  to  and  Reception  by  Cornelius,  vers.  23-33. 
On  the  morrow.  That  is  after  the  arrival  of  the  messengers. — 
Certain  of  the  brethren  from  Joppa  accompanied  him. 
These  companions  were  '  of  the  circumcision"  (10:  45) :  and  six  in  num- 
ber (11 :  12).  They  afterwards  went  to  Jerusalem,  and  there  confirmed 
the  statement  made  by  Peter.  As  Stier  remarks :  '  How  rightly,  and 
in    what   harmony  with  God's  guidance  he  acted,   the   sequel  soon 


10:  24-26.]  ACTS  X.  139 

24  panied  him.  And  on  the  morrow  Hhey  entered  into 
Qesarea.  And  Cornelias  was  waitino:  for  them,  hav- 
ing  called  together  his  kinsmen  and  his  near  friends. 

25  And  when  it  came  to  j^ass  that  Peter  entered,  Cornelius 
met  him,  and  fell  down  at  his  feet,  and  worshipped 

26  him.     But  Peter  raised  him  up,  saying,  Stand  up ;  I 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  read  he. 

shows.'  The  imagination  dwells  on  the  incidents  of  this  journey  from 
Joppa  to  Caesarea,  and  speculates  on  the  conversation  which  took  place 
among  the  ten  travelers.  With  the  apostle  were  three  Gentiles,  one  of 
them  a  Roman  soldier,  and  six  Jewish  converts  lo  Christianity.  The 
mere  thought  of  this  company  and  this  journey  communicates  to  the 
line  of  coast  between  these  two  towns  an  extraordinary  interest. 

Ver.  24.  Cornelius  was  "waiting  for  them.  He  knew  the 
time  which  would  probably  be  occupied  by  the  two  journeys,  and  when 
he  might  expect  to  see  Peter  and  his  messengers,  if  their  errand  had 
been  successful.  The  phrase  seems  to  imply  serious  anxiety,  mingled 
with  confidence. — His  kinsmen  and  his  friends.  A  large  num- 
ber came  together  (ver.  27).  Alexander  says  here,  'As  this  would 
hardly  have  been  done  without  some  prepai-ation  or  predisposition 
upon  the  part  of  these  friends,  it  would  seem  to  imply  a  previous  work 
of  gi-ace  among  these  Gentiles,  leading  them  to  Christ,  even  before 
they  came  in  contact  with  his  Gospel  or  his  messenger.'  Stier  says  : 
'  This  kindly  and  loving  believer  appears  more  and  more  as  the  centre 
and  head  of  a  considerable  circle  of  pious  Gentiles  in  Caisarea,  which 
was  now  to  be  favored  by  being  the  seat  of  the  first  Gentile  church.' 
The  mention  of  kinsmen  appears  to  prove  that  Cornelius  had  an  es- 
tablished domestic  life  in  Ctesarea. 

Ver.  25.  When  ....  Peter  entered,  Cornelius  met  him. 
This  first  meeting  of  Cornelius  and  Peter  is  one  of  the  great  incidents 
of  history. — Fell  down  at  his  feet,  and  worshipped.  This 
was  an  impulse  of  reverence  and  thankfulness,  under  a  strong  sense 
of  the  supernatural.  It  is  possible  that  some  of  the  thoughts  con- 
nected with  what  he  had  been  taught  as  a  heathen  concerning  deified 
heroes,  were  lingering  in  his  mind.  *The  recollection  of  the  angelic 
annunciation  of  Peter  to  Cornelius  in  the  vision  (ver.  5)  sufficiently 
explains  this  act  of  homage.  So  Jairus  had  worshipped  Jesus  (Matt. 
9:   18). 

Ver.  26.  Stand  up;  I  myself  also  am  a  man.  We  are  at 
once  reminded  of  the  horror  expressed  by  Paul  and  Barnabas,  when 
the  attempt  was  made  at  Lystra  to  give  them  divine  homage  (Acts  14 : 
14),  and  of  the  repudiation  of  this  kind  of  homage  by  the  angel  in 
John's  vision  (Rev.  22:  8,  9);  and  we  necessarily  contrast  with  all 
this  our  Lord's  calm  acceptance  of  such  worship,  as  is  recorded  more 
than  once  in  the  Gospels.     *  Peter's  conduct  stands  in  strange  contrast 


140  ACTS  X.  [10:  27-30. 

27  myself  also  am  a  man.     And  as  he  talked  with  him, 

28  he  went  in,  and  findeth  many  come  together :  and  he 
said  unto  them.  Ye  yourselves  know  4iow  that  it  is 
an  unlawful  thing  for  a  man  that  is  a  Jew  to  join  him- 
self or  come  unto  one  of  another  nation  ;  and  yet  unto 
me  hath  God  shewed  that  I  should  not  call  any  man 

29  common  or  unclean :  wherefore  also  I  came  without 
gainsaying,  when  I  was  sent  for.    I  ask  therefore  with 

30  what  intent  ye  sent  for  me.    And  Cornelius  said.  Four 

1  Or,  how  unlawful  it  is  for  a  man,  ttc. 

to  that  of  the  popes  who  claim  to  be  his  successors  and  have  demanded, 
if  not  the  worship,  at  least  the  homage  and  humiliating  homage  of 
potentates  and  peoples.  Bengel  pithily  exclaims :  *  Why  is  not  onlj' 
the  kiss  of  the  toe  allowed,  but  become  an  every-day  ceremony  of  the 
pope  ? ' 

Ver.  27.  As  he  talked  with  him,  he  -went  in.  Free  and 
friendly  intercourse  with  a  Gentile  is  now  become  comparatively  easy 
to  Peter. 

Ver.  28.  It  is  an  unlawful  thing.  The  word  denotes  rather 
what  is  opposed  to  venerable  custom  than  what  is  contrary  to  positive 
law.  There  is  no  explicit  text  in  the  Old  Testament  which  forbids  in- 
tercourse between  Jew  and  Gentile,  but  such  a  spirit  was  naturally 
developed  by  the  Old  Testament.  As  to  the  fact  of  this  scrupulous 
separation,  we  have  the  evidence  of  contemporary  poets  and  historians 
in  harmony  with  that  experience  of  Cornelius,  to  which  appeal  is 
made.  Juvenal  (Sat.  xiv.  103)  says  it  was  the  custom  of  the  Jews 
'  not  to  show  the  Avay  to  any  one  who  did  not  share  their  religion.' — 
To  join  himself  or  come  unto  one  of  another  nation. 
The  primary  reference  is  to  the  custom  of  eating  together  at  the  same 
table.  This  is  the  point  specified  in  chap.  11:  3  (Gal.  2:  12).  It  is 
precisely  in  this  particular  that  there  would  be  the  greatest  risk  of  a 
violation  of  the  Law  of  Moses.  —  Me  hath  God  shewed.  The 
word  'me'  is  emphatic,  and  it  is  contrasted  with  'ye'  above.  Dean 
Alford  puts  this  point  well:  'Ye,  though  ye  see  me  here,  know  how 
strong  the  prejudice  is  which  would  have  kept  me  away;  and  I,  though 
entertaining  fully  this  prejudice  myself,  yet  have  been  taught,'  etc. 
We  should  not  fail  to  observe  the  stress  which  he  lays  on  the  fact  that 
God  had  taught  him  what  he  had  learned. 

Ver.  29.  I  ask  for  what  intent  ye  sent  for  me.  Peter 
knew  what  the  messengers  had  told  him  ;  but  it  was  still  needful  that 
Cornelius  should  make  his  own  statement.  This  is  a  case  in  which 
every  step  is  to  be  made  firm.  The  apostle  asks  for  a  full  and  authen- 
tic confirmation  of  what  he  had  heard  from  the  messengers. 

Ver.  30.      Until   this  hour.      Probably  this  was  the  sixth  hour, 


10:  31-33.]  ACTS  X.  -141 

days  ago,  until  this  hour,  I  was  keeping  the  nintli  hour 
of  prayer  in  my  house ;  and  behold,  a  man  stood  be- 

31  fore  me  in  bright  apparel,  and  saith,  Cornelius,  thy 
prayer  is  heard,  and  thine  alms  are  had  in  remem- 

32  brance  in  the  sight  of  God.  Send  therefore  to  Joppa, 
and  call  unto  thee  Simon,  who  is  surnamed  Peter ;  he 
lodgeth  in  the  house  of  Simon  a  tanner,  by  the  sea  side. 

33  Forthwith  therefore  I  sent  to  thee ;  and  thou  hast  well 
done  that  thou  art  come.  Xow  therefore  we  are  all 
here  present  in  the  sight  of  God,  to  hear  all  things 

when  the  mid-day  meal  would  naturally  be  taken.  —  The  ninth 
hour.  Tbree  o'clock. — In  my  house.  This  is  part  of  the  vivid- 
ness of  the  personal  narrative  given  by  Cornelius  himself.  In  the 
account  given  by  Luke  above,  it  is  said  that  the  centurion  saw  the 
angel  '  coming  in  unto  him.'  Another  remark  may  be  added,  that 
though  Cornelius  never  heard  the  sermon  on  the  Mount,  he  is  seen 
here  practising  what  is  there  enjoined  as  to  private  prayer. — *A  man 
stood  before  me  in  bright  apparel.  This  was  the  angel  (ver.  3). 
The  angels  who  watched  in  the  sepulchre  (Luke  24:  4)  are  described 
as  being  clad  in  '  dazzling  apparel,'  and  those  who  appeared  after  the 
ascension  as  being  clad  in  'white  apparel'  (Acts  1 :  10).  Nowhere 
are  the  angels  in  the  Bible  described  with  wings.  The  Seraphim  (Isa. 
6:2)  and  Cherubim  alone  are  so  described. 

Ver.  31.  Thy  prayer  Is  heard.  It  is  to  be  observed  that 
prayer  here  is  in  the  singular.  It  seems  fair  to  observe  that  he  was 
praying  for  divine  illumination.  This  prayer  was  perhaps  the  crisis 
and  consummation  of  many  previous  prayers. 

Ver.  33.  "We  are  all  here  present  in  the  sight  of  God. 
Both  in  this  phrase  and  in  that  which  follows,  we  have  evidence  of  the 
deeply  reverential  and  attentive  attitude  of  the  mind  of  Cornelius.  We 
must  remember  that  he  does  not  at  all  know  what  Peter  will  have  to 
say  to  him.  Of  this  only  he  is  sure,  that  he  is  on  the  eve  of  learning 
what  he  had  long  been  anxious  to  know,  and  had  earnestly  prayed  to 
be  taught.  *  These  words  imply  that  the  company  assembled  in  Cor- 
nelius' house  was  equally  solicitous  with  him  to  hear  Peter's  message. 

*  Practical  Notes. — Grod  has  appointed  religious  instructors.  He  did  not  make 
known  to  Cornelius  the  whole  plan  of  salvation  in  the  vision.  He  simply  directed 
him  to  Peter,  who  was  able  to  instruct  him.  It  is  well  to  go  for  advice  and  instruc- 
tion to  those  who  minister  in  divine  things,  and  whose  experience  has  fitted  them  to 
become  teachers  of  others  by  the  exposition  of  the  Word  and  the  way  of  ."^alvation- 
—The  delegation  of  Cornelius  is  a  type  of  the  search  of  the  Gentile  world  for  the  wis- 
dom of  the  Gospel.  By  its  wisdom  the  world  had  been  unable  to  find  out  God  (I  Cor. 
1 .  21).    The  Wise  Men  of  the  East  (Matt.  2 :  1-12)  had  followed  the  star  to  Bethlehem 


142  ACTS  X.  10:  34. 

34  that  have  been  commanded  thee  of  the  Lord.     And 
Peter  opened  his  mouth,  and  said, 

Chapter  10:  34-43. 

Peter^s  Address  in  the  House  of  Cornelius. 
Of  a  truth  I  perceive  that  God  is  no  respecter  of 

and  worshipped  the  infant  Jesus,  and  rejoiced  with  exceeding  great  joy.  The  Pagan 
■world  had  in  vain  sought  for  spiriUiai  peace.  Cornelius,  its  representative,  found  it 
in  the  Gospel.  'All  nations  shall  serve  him  '  was  indeed  to  be  verified.— Christianity 
renders  worship  to  God  alone  (ver.  20).  The  great  apostlee,  Peter  and  Paul,  absolutely 
refused  adoration.  Peter  checks  Cornelius,  who  had  prostrated  himself  before  him 
and  Paul  at  Lystia  (Acts  1-1 :  14)  was  in  dismay  when  he  found  the  people  intent  upon 
paying  him  divine  honors.  Both  alike  declared  themselves  on  a  par  with  mankind  at 
large  in  their  sinfulness  and  need  of  grace.  It  was  the  custom  of  the  heathen  world 
to  worship  human  heroes,  and  even  some  of  the  most  flagitious  emperors  were  placed 
among  the  gods  after  their  death.  It  is  the  impulse  of  the  heart  to  serve  the  creature 
(Rom.  1 :  25).  But  Christianity  pronounced  that  all  men  are  of  equal  dignity,  and 
that  God  alone  is  to  be  worshipped. — The  successors  of  Peter,  the  popes,  have  departed 
very  far  from  the  example  of  the  apostle.  Far  from  acting  in  his  spirit  they  liave 
made  kings  hold  the  stirrup  while  they  mounted  their  horses,  have  imperiously  do- 
minated over  civil  governments,  have  allowed  guests  to  prostrate  themselves  in  their 
presence,  and  have  declared  themselves  incapable  of  error. — A  pious  man  gathers 
kindred  spirits  around  him.  Cornelius  was  the  center  of  a  little  band  who  also  did 
righteously  and  waited  for  the  kingdom  of  God.  This  company  was  transformed  into 
the  first  Gentile  church. 

Peter's  Address  in  the  House  of  Cornelius,  vers.  34-43. 

Ver.  34.  Peter  opened  his  mouth.  This  denotes  that  something 
grave  and  deliberate  is  about  to  be  uttered.  The  most  solemn  instance 
of  this  phrase  was  at  the  opening  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  by  our 
Lord  (Matt.  5:  2). — Of  a  truth  I  perceive.  There  had  been  some 
remnant  of  doubt  in  his  mind  before.  Now  he  sees  the  whole  case. 
The  account  of  Cornelius  showing  an  astonishing  harmony  between  his 
experience  and  his  own,  had  brought  his  conviction  to  its  culminating 
point.  As  Cornelius  named  all  the  circumstances  minutely,  and  as 
Peter  marked  the  religious,  reverential  spirit  of  those  who  were  assem- 
bled befoi^e  him,  all  hesitation  vanished. — No  respecter  of  persons. 
This  same  thought  is  expressly  enunciated  in  Rom.  2:  11;  Eph.  6:9; 
Col.  3:  25;  James  2:  1,  9.  The  words  denote  the  judging  a  man  by  a 
test  which  has  nothing  to  do  with  his  moral  character;  as,  for  instance, 
by  his  wealth,  his  social  position,  or  his  beauty  (1  Sam,  16:  7).  Here 
the  meaning  is,  that  God  does  not  judge  a  man  by  his  nationality,  but 
by  his  character.  Up  to  this  time  Peter  had  treated  nationality  as  a 
kind  of  moral  test. 


10;  35,  CO.]  ACTS  X.  143 

35  persons :  but  in   every  nation  he   that   feareth    him, 

36  and  worketh  righteousness,  is  acceptable  to  him.     ^  The 
word  which  he  sent  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  j^reacli- 

1  Man}'  ancient  authorities  read  He  sent  the  word  unto. 

Ver.  35.  In  every  nation.  The  stress  is  on  this  part  of  the  sen- 
tence. Nationality,  even  a  divinely-appointed  nationality,  like  the 
Jewish,  constitutes,  in  the  sight  of  God,  no  essential  mark  of  difl'erence 
between  one  man  and  another  — Is  acceptable  to  him.  The  true 
distinction  between  one  man  and  another,  as  before  God,  is  moral.  The 
meaning  of  Peter  is  by  no  means  that  all  religions  are  equally  good,  if 
those  who  profess  them  are  equally  sincere.  If  this  theory  were  true, 
why  should  such  elaborate  pains  have  been  taken  to  bring  Peter  to 
Cornelius,  so  that  the  latter  might  become  acquainted  with  Christ  ?  On 
this  theory  Christian  missions  are  an  absurdity.  The  history  of  Corne- 
lius is  itself  a  proof  that,  'the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  one 
whereby  men  must  be  saved.'  The  meaning  of  this  passage,  is,  that 
the  blessings  of  Christianity  are  freely  offered  to  every  human  hand 
that  is  stretched  out  to  receive  them  without  reference  to  nationality. 
The  language  of  Peter  himself  at  the  Apostolic  Council  (Acts  15:  9,  11) 
was  as  follows  :  '  God  made  no  distinction  between  us  and  them,  cleans- 
ing their  hearts  by  faith  :  we  believe  that  we  shall  be  saved  through  the 
grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  like  manner  as  they.'  *It  is  plain 
that  Peter  here  is  speaking  of  such  as  are  longing  for  the  benelits  of 
Christ's  kingdom.  He  is  not  commending  religion  in  general,  but 
enunciating  the  principle  that  nationality  is  no  barrier  to  God's  favor 
and  the  reception  of  the  blessings  of  Christ's  death.  As  Meyer  puts  it, 
Peter  is  not  talking  of  the  '  ability  of  men  to  become  saved  without 
Christ,  but  their  ability  under  God  to  become  Christians,'  and  Bengel 
aptly  says,  '  It  is  not  asserted  that  religions  are  a  matter  of  indifference 
but  nationality.'  The  redeemed  shall  be  out  of  every  tribe  and  tongue 
and  people  and  nation  (Rev.  5:  9). 

Ver.  36.  The  "word  which  he  sent.  The  grammatical  construc- 
tion is  very  difficult  to  follow  through  this  verse  and  the  two  subse- 
quent verses.  We  have  here  three  things  in  apposition — (1)  the  pro- 
clamation of  the  Gospel  which  was  spread  through  Judoea ;  (2)  the 
subject  matter  of  the  proclamation,  the  new  religion  which  was  thug 
diffused;  (3)  the  fact  that  Jesus  was  divinely  anointed  for  this  mission. 
A  general  knowledge  of  what  was  involved  in  these  three  expressions 
was  already  possessed  by  Cornelius  and  his  friends. — Preaching 
good  tidings  of  peace  by  Jesus  Christ.  This  denotes  primarily 
peace  between  God  and  man,  but  also  peace  between  Jew  and  Gentile 
(Eph.  2  :  15-17). — He  is  Lord  of  all.  These  words  assign  to  Christ 
a  divine  supremacy;  and  bring  all  mankind  on  a  level,  because  all  men 
stand  in  the  same  relation  to  him  (Rom.  3:  29,  30).  * 'Peter  inter- 
poses this  remark  as  a  proof  of  the  universality  of  the  plan  of  recon- 
ciliation' (Hackett). 


144  ACTS  X..  [10:  37-39. 

ing  ^  good  tidings  of  peace  by  Jesus  Christ  (he  is  Lord 

37  of  all) — that  saying  ye  yourselves  know,  which  was 
published  throughout  all  Judsea,  beginning  from  Gali- 
lee, after  the  baptism  which  John  preached ;  even  Jesus 

38  of  Nazareth,  how  that  God  anointed  him  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  with  power :  who  went  about  doing 
good,  and  healing  all  that  were  oppressed  of  the  devil; 

39  for  God  was  with  him.  And  we  are  witnesses  of  all 
things  which  he  did  both  in  the  country  of  the  Jews, 
and  in  Jerusalem ;  whom  also  they  slew,  hanging  him 

1  Or,  ihe  (jospel. 

Ver.  37.  That  saying  ye  yourselves  know.  It  was  inevita- 
ble that  Cornelius  and  liis  friends  should  have  had  a  general  knowledge 
of  the  fficts  connected  with  the  early  promulgation  of  the  Gospel.  The 
news  of  these  things  must  have  penetrated  among  the  Pagan  population 
of  Palestine,  especially  among  those  who  were  drawn  by  sympathy 
towards  the  Jews  and  the  Jewish  religion. 

Ver.  38.  God  anointed  him  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
with  power.  Some  see  in  this  an  allusion,  wholly  or  in  part,  to  the 
activity  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  incarnation  of  Jesus  at  his  birth.  It 
seems  more  natural  to  refer  the  words  to  the  baptism  of  Jesus  (Matt. 
3:  16,  17).  Bishop  Pearson  [Exposition  of  the  Creed,  Art.  II.),  refer- 
ring to  the  doubt  as  to  whether  Peter  alludes  here  to  the  sanctitica- 
tion  of  our  Lord  at  his  conception,  or  to  his  unction  at  his  baptism, 
says :  '  We  need  not  contend  which  of  these  two  was  the  true  time  of 
our  Saviour's  unction,  since  neither  is  destructive  of  the  other,  and  con- 
sequently both  may  well  co-exist  together.'  *The  unction  with  'power' 
may  be  regarded  as  a  result  or  accompaniment  of  the  endowment  of  the 
Spirit.  So  the  seven  deacons  are  said  to  have  been  'full  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  wisdom;'  Barnabas  of  the  'Holy  Spirit  and  faith,'  and  the 
disciples  'with  joy  and  with  the  Holy  Spirit.'  In  the  Gospel  of  .Tohn 
the  Spirit  is  associated  with  'truth'  (4:  23)  and  'life'  (6:  63). — Who 
went  about  doing  good.  The  charm  of  this  description  of  Christ's 
character  and  work  could  not  be  surpassed;  and  we  should  particularly 
observe  that  he  is  presented  to  Cornelius  and  his  friends  as  a  Bene- 
factor before  he  is  presented  to  them  as  a  Judge. — That  were  op- 
pressed of  the  devil.  We  need  not  suppose  that  there  is  in  this 
phrase  any  special  reference  to  demon'acal  possession.  In  his  Gospel 
Luke  attributes  bodily  suffering  to  the  devil.  The  woman  'which  had 
a  spirit  of  infirmity  eighteen  years'  is  Faid  (13:  11.  16)  to  have  been 
'bound  by  Satan.' — God  was  with  him.  As  Nicodemus  had  con- 
fessed (John  3:  2). 

Ver.  39.     "We  are  witnesses.     There  is  an  emphatic  stress  on  the 


10:  10-4b.]  ACTS  X.  145 

40  on  a  tree.     Him  God  raised  up  the  third  day,  and  gave 

41  him  to  be  made  manifest,  not  to  all  the  people,  but 
unto  witnesses  that  were  chosen  before  of  God,  even  to 
us,  who  did  eat  and  drink  with  him  after  he  rose  from 

42  the  dead.  And  he  charged  us  to  preach  unto  the 
people,  and  to  testify  that  this  is  he  which  is  ordained 

43  of  God  to  be  the  Judge  of  quick  and  dead.  To  him 
bear  all  the  prophets  witness,  that  through  his  name 
every  one  that  believeth  on  him  shall  receive  remission 
of  sins. 

word  'ice.'  Dean  Alforcl  adds  very  justly,  that  by  this  emphatic  word 
Peter  at  once  takes  away  the  ground  from  the  exaggerated  reverence 
for  himself  individually,  shown  by  Cornelius  (ver.  25),  and  puts  him- 
self, and  the  rest  of  the  Apostles,  in  ihe  strictly  subordinate  place  of 
icitnesses  for  another. — "Whom  also  they  slew.  Peter  does  not 
shrink  from  setting  forth  strongly  the  humiliating  circumstances  of 
the  death  of  Christ.  His  purpose  is  to  lead  Cornelius  to  the  Cross 
(ver.  43). 

Ver.  40.  Him  God  raised  up  the  third  day.  Here,  as  every- 
where in  the  Acts,  the  Resurrection  is  the  culminating  point  of  the 
apostolic  testimony  (2:  24;  17:  31;  26:  23). 

Ver.  41.  Not  to  all  the  people.  Alexander's  remark  here  is 
just,  that  to  commit  the  testimony  to  select  eye-witnesses  was  'more  in 
keeping  with  the  dignity  and  glory  of  the  risen  Saviour,  which  would 
now  have  been  degraded  by  the  same  promiscuous  and  unreserved 
association  with  men,  that  was  necessary  to  his  previous  ministry. — 
•^Who  did  eat  and  drink  with  him,  etc.  There  are  three  re- 
corded instances  of  this  kind  (Luke  24:  30,  42 ;  John  21 :  12-15j. 

Yer.  42.  *  Charged  us  to  preach.  Jesus  commanded  his  disci- 
ples to  go  into  all  the  world  preaching  the  Gospel  (Matt.  28:  19),  and 
commissioned  them  to  be  his  witnesses  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the 
earth  (Acts  1:  8). — Judge  of  quick  and  dead.  •  Again  the  Lord, 
and  in  a  more  awful  manner,  is  set  forth  in  the  position  of  supreme 
dignity.  His  judicial  work  is  made  prominent  here,  as  in  Paul's 
address  to  heathen  listeners  at  Athens  (Acts  17:  31).  *This  is  the 
first  time  that  Christ's  judicial  function  is  referred  to  in  the  Acts.  At 
Stephen's  death  he  is  represented  as  the  advocate  and  defender  of  his 
followers  (Acts  7:  56).  But  he  had  taught  his  disciples  that  the 
'Father  hath  given  all  judgement  unto  the  Son'  (John  5:  22).  The 
expression  'quick  (living)  and  dead'  includes  all  nations,  all  mankind. 

Ver.  43.      To  him  bear   all  the  prophets  witness.      Peter 

alludes  to  the  general  drift  of  the  prophets'  writings.     In  his  previous 

addresses   he   had  laid   emphasis  on  the  testimony  of  the  prophets  to 

Christ  (chap.  2,  3). — Every  one  that  believeth  on   him  shall 

10 


146  •  ACTS  X.  [10;  44-46. 

Chapter  1 0  :  44-48. 

The   Outpouring    of  the    Holy   Ghost   and   Baptism   of 

Cornelius. 

44  While  Peter  yet  spake  these  words,  the  Holy  Ghost 

45  fell  on  all  them  which  heard  the  word.  And  they 
of  the  circumcision  which  believed  were  amazed,  as 
many  as  came  with  Peter,  because  that  on  the  Gentiles 

46  also  was  poured  out  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.     For 

receive  remission  of  sins.  These  concluding  words  of  Peter's 
speech  deserve  the  utmost  attention.  The  language  is  universal,  in- 
cluding Jews  and  Gentiles  alike.  It  is,  of  course,  implied  that  all  men 
equally  need  forgiveness.  The  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  could 
not  be  more  clearly  set  forth.  There  is  great  beauty  and  tenderness 
in  Peter's  passing  from  the  contemplation  of  Christ  as  the  Judge,  to  the 
contemplation  of  him  as  the  Pedeemer. 

*  Practical  Notes.— See  next  section. 
The  Outpouring  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  Baptism  of  Cornelius,  vers.  44-48. 

Yer.  44.  "While  Peter  yet  spake  these  words.  In  his  own 
account  afterwards  (11  :  15)  he  says  that  the  miraculous  interruption 
came  '  as  he  beyan  to  speak.''  He  was,  therefore,  evidently  intending 
to  address  the  assembly  at  much  greater  length.  What  is  of  the  ut- 
most importance  to  us  to  mark  is,  that  an  occurrence  took  plf.ce  on 
this  occasion  which  is  recorded  on  no  other  occasion  of  the  same  kind. 
This  is  enough  to  mark  off  these  events  at  Ca?sarea  as  having  a  charac- 
ter and  meaning  of  their  own.  The  sudden  interruption  was  far  i.  ore 
forcible  in  its  effect  on  the  hearers  than  any  additional  words  from 
Peter  would  have  been.  The  force,  too.  of  this  new  and  divine  argu- 
ment was  of  the  utmost  weight  for  the  '  Apostles  and  brethren  at 
Jerusalem,'  as  it  is  indeed  for  every  subsequent  age  of  the  Church, 
including  our  own.  It  is  observable,  moreover,  that  the  interruption 
came  just  when  the  word  'faith  '  was  pronounced  in  connection  with 
'the  remission  of  sins.'-^The  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  all  them. 
This  was  the  Pentecost  of  the  Gentiles.  Peter  compared  it  to  the  ex- 
perience of  the  church  at  Jerusalem  (Acts  2),  and  expressly  says,  the 
Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them  at  Ca?sarea,  'as  on  us  at  the  beginning.'  It  is 
said  below  (vcr.  46)  that^they  were  heard  'speaking  with  tongues  and 
magnifying  God.' 

Ver.  45.  They  of  the  circumcision  which  believed  were 
amazed.  The  expression  is  a  very  strong  one.  Thoy  were  almost 
out  of  their  mind  with  wonder.  *The  feelings  of  the  Jewish  brethren 
show  how  necessary  the  revelation  to  Peter  at  Joppa  was.  The  Gen- 
tiles had,  as  it  were,  been  lifted  up  to  heaven  like  the  sheet. 

Ver.  46.  They  heard  them  speak  with  tongues.  It  is  not 
said  here,  as  in  2 :  4,  that  they  spoke  with  other  tongues. 


10:  47,  48.]  ACTS  X.  147 


they  heard  them   speak  with  tongues,  and  magnify 

47  God.  Then  answered  Peter,  Can'  any  man  forbid 
the  water,  that  these  should  not  be  baptized,  which 

48  have  received  the  Holy  Ghost  as  well  as  we  ?  And  he 
commanded  them  to  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.     Then  prayed  they  him  to  tarry  certain  days. 

Yer.  47.  Can  any  man  forbid  the  v^ater?  The  water  of 
baptism.  The  highest  blessing  of  all,  the  Holy  Spirit,  had  been  re- 
ceived:  hence  the  minor  gift,  which  was  emblematic  of  the  other,  and 
which  procured  admission  into  the  Church  of  Christ,  could  not  be  re- 
fused. There  is  a  strong  testimony  here  to  the  importance  of  baptism, 
as  was  the  case  of  Paul  (9 :  18).  On  the  one  hand,  indeed,  nothing 
can  be  more  emphatic  than  this  narrative  in  its  assertion  that  God  can 
communicate  His  highest  spiritual  gifts  irrespectively  of  all  ordinances ; 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  asserted  'with  equal  emphasis,  that  di- 
vinely-appointed ordinances  are  not  to  be  disregarded.  '  He  did  not 
say,'  remarks  Bengel,  '  they  have  the  Spirit,  therefore  they  can  dis- 
pense with  water.' — 'Whicli  have  received  the  Holy  Ghost  as 
well  as  "we.  This  is  the  only  instance  of  the  Holy  Ghost's  being 
poured  out  previously  to  baptism.  There  was  sufficient  reason  on  this 
occasion,  if  we  may  reverently  say  so,  for  deviation  from  the  common 
rule.  No  ordinary  attestation  would  have  sufficed  to  make  the  divine 
command  perfectly  clear,  that  the  Gentiles  were  to  be  admitted  at 
once,  and  on  equal  terms  with  the  Jews,  to  the  blessings  of  Chris- 
tianity. It  may  be  added  that  God  is  not  tied  down  to  a  special 
sequence. 

Ver.  48.  He  commanded  them  to  be  baptized.  Peter  did 
not  administer  the  baptism  himself.  This  was  in  harmony  with  the 
practice  of  Paul  (1  Cor.  1:  14,  17).  Then  prayed  they  him  to 
tarry  certain  days.  This  residence  in  the  house  of  Cornelius  is  to 
be  marked  as  a  time  of  great  importance  for  Peter's  future  life,  and  is 
to  be  compared  with  the  fifteen  days  which  he  and  Paul  spent  together 
afterwards  (Gal.  1  :  18).  He  must  have  learned  much  that  he  never 
knew  before  concerning  the  Gentile  mind,  especially  in  its  aspirations 
after  religious  light  and  peace. 

*  Pbactical  Notes.— The  Gospel  dispeni?es  its  blPssingB  without  regard  to  nation- 
ality, wealth,  or  any  other  external  circumstance.  In  Christ  neither  circumcision 
availeth  anything  nor  un circumcision  (Col.  3:  11).  If  God  made  of  one  blood  all  na- 
tions, so  the  spiritual  energy  of  faith  (Gal.  5  :  6)  secures  for  its  possessor,  be  he  Jew  or 
Greek,  bond  or  free,  the  remission  of  sins  and  the  power  of  a  new  life  (ver.  43).— The 
universality  of  the  Gospel  is  one  of  its  most  salient  features  and  a  mark  of  its  divine 
origin.  At  the  very  birth  of  Christ  we  are  surprised  by  the  terms  used  proclaim- 
ing f  jr  it  a  universal  mission  The  angels  sang  of  the  good  tidings  which  'should  be 
to  all  people  '  (Luke  2  :  10).  Simeon  spoke  of  Christ  as  a  '  light  t..  lighten  the  Gentile"* ' 
(Luke  2 :  32).    The  Wise  Men  of  the  East  joined  with  the  JewLsh  shepherds  in  adoring 


148  ACTS  XI.  [11:  1. 

Chapter  11:  1-18. 
Peter^s   Defence  at   Jerusalem  of  his    Conduct   towards 

Cornelius. 
11:1     Now  the  apostles  and  the  brethren  that  were  in 
Judaea  heard  that  the  Gentiles  also  had  received  the 

Christ  (Matt.  2 :  1-12).  Our  Lord's  last  commandment  bade  the  Apostles  to  '  go  into  all 
the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  whole  creation  '  (Mark  16 :  15).  The  redeemed 
in  heaven  are  gathered  from  every  trihe  and  tongue  and  nation  and  ]ioople  (Eev.o  :  8). 
There  is  nothing  exclusive  in  the  Gospel.  Under  the  cross  men  from  all  nations  and 
all  quarters  of  the  globe  meet.— The  overstepping  of  the  barriers  of  nationality  by 
the  Apostles  was  the  evidence  of  a  new  power  in  the  world.  The  Jews  were  the  most 
intolerant  of  peoples,  and  a  strict  Jew  would  not  even  sit  down  at  table  with  a  Gentile. 
Yet  the  veiy  ones  to  overstep  the  line  of  this  national  separation  M'ere  rigid  Jews. 
Peter  overcame  the  strongest  scruples  when  he  entered  the  home  of  Cornelius  and 
stopped  with  him  as  his  guest.  Paul,  a  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews,  likevvise,  though  in 
a  more  bold  and  intrepid  manner,  ignored  the  prejudices  of  his  training,  and 
preached  that  the  Gospel  was  designed  for  Jew  and  Gentile  alike,  and  that  there  was 
no  ditference  between  them  in  the  light  of  the  cross.  This  renunciation  of  the  most 
violent  prejudices  is  a  witness  for  the  mighty  power  of  the  Gospel. — All  modern 
libei'ty  and  all  modern  ideas  of  human  equality,  so  far  as  they  are  genuine,  are  based 
upon  Peter's  words  :  'God  is  no  respecter  of  persons  '  (ver.  34).— Religion  is  not  a  mat- 
ter of  indifference  (ver.  35).  It  matters  much  what  people  believe,  or  Peter  would  not 
have  been  sent  to  Cornelius  or  preached  Christ  so  diligently  to  him.— The  fear  of  God 
and  righteousness  of  life  (ver.  35)  go  together.  He  who  is  without  God  is  without  the 
incentive  .and  stimulating  cause  of  an  upright  moral  life. — Even  moral  men  are  saved 
by  the  cross  (ver.  39).  Peter  made  prominent  the  death  of  Christ,  which  was  a  cause 
of  stumbling  to  many.  He  who  leaves  out  the  cross  from  his  theology,  leaves  out  the 
puhating  heart.-  Christ  is  the  Saviour,  but  also  the  judge  of  the  world  (ver.  42).  Be- 
fore his  tribunal  all  shall  be  brought,  and  every  eye  shall  see  him— a  thought  of  com- 
fort for  his  disciples,  of  dismay  for  his  foes.— The  blessings  of  the  Gospel  are  the 
heritage  of  every  one  who  by  faith  leans  upon  Christ  (ver.  43\  The  cross  frowns  down 
all  class  pride,  and  pronounces  all  capal  le  of  salvation. — The  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  not  indissolubly  associated  with  bapti.sm  in  such  a  way  that  no  one  can  be  saved 
who  is  not  baptized.  But  baptism  is  of  divine  appointment,  and  though  a  man  may 
have  had  the  unction  of  the  Spirit  without  it,  yet  he  ought,  like  Paul  and  Cornelius, 
to  submit  to  the  water  of  baptism  which  Christ  thought  necessary  to  command. 
Fflter's  Defence  at  Jerusalem  of  his  Conduct  towards  Cornelius,  vers.  1-18. 
The  account  given  by  Peter  at  Jerusalem  before  the  'Apostles  and 
brethren'  who  blamed  him  for  his  attitude  towards  the  admission  of 
Cornelius  to  baT)tism  and  fellowship  is  by  no  means  a  mere  repetition 
of  the  account  by  Luke  in  the  tenth  chapter.  There  are  variations  of 
the  most  instructive  kind,  which  furnish,  on  a  careful  comparison  of 
the  two  chapters,  a  very  valuable  indirect  proof  of  the  natural  truth- 
fulness of  the  whole  story.  The  argument  will  be  briefly  summed  up 
in  an  Excursus  at  the  close. 


11:  2-4.]  ACTS  XI.  149 

2  Avorcl  of  God.    And  when  Peter  was  come  up  to  Jeru- 
salem, they  that  were  of  the  circumcision  contended 

3  v,'ith  him,  saying,  Thou  wentest  in  to  men  uncircum- 

4  cised,  and  didst  eat  with  them.     But   Peter  began, 
and  expounded  the  matter  unto  them  in  order,  saying, 

Ver.  1.    The  apostles  and  the  brethren  that  were  in  Judaea. 

Probably  some  of  them  were  at  Jerusalem,  and  some  of  them  itinera- 
ting, like  Peter,  through  the  Holy  Land,  for  the  purpose  of  spreading 
the  Gospel. — Heard.  The  news  of  such  an  occurrence  in  the  con- 
spicuous town  of  Coesarea,  and  connected  with  one  so  prominent  as 
Peter,  must  have  rapidly  spread,  *and  produced  a  profound  sensation. 
Cornelius's  baptism  was  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  Church.  It 
meant  the  admission  of  the  Gentiles  to  the  Church  on  an  equal  footing 
with  the  Jews. — The  Gentiles  also  had  received  the  word  of 
God.  These  Apostles  and  brethren  had  Christian  hearts,  and  they 
must  have  rejoiced  in  the  thought  that  the  Gospel  had  found  accept- 
ance in  other  hearts  (see  ver.  18).  That  which  they  could  not  under- 
stand was  that  these  Gentiles  should  have  been  reached  by  this  blessing 
without  first  becoming  Jews. 

Ver.  2.  They  that  were  of  the  circumcision.  By  this  is  ex- 
pressed, not  simply  that  they  were  Jews,  but  that  they  had  a  strong  and 
deep  feeling  regarding  the  necessity  of  circumcision.  With  the  exception 
of  the  recent  converts,  none  except  Jews  were  members  of  the  Church 
of  Christ.  This  expression,  however,  is  one  that  it  would  be  natural 
for  Luke,  writing  some  years  afterwards,  to  use.  ^The  ^listinction 
soon  came  to  be  a  well-defined  one  between  the  Jewish  section  in  the 
Church  and  the  Gentile.  The  former  laid  much  stress  upon  the  rites 
of  the  0.  T.  The  extreme  "wing  of  the  Jewish  Christians  is  known 
as  Judaizers,  and  taught  that  it  was  necessary  for  a  Gentile  to  be  cir- 
cumcised before  he  could  become  a  Christian.  With  this  class  of 
teachers  Paul  contends  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Galatians,  and  with  refer- 
ence to  these  two  parties  in  the  Church,  he  emphasized  the  statement 
that  'neither  is  circumcision  anything  nor  uncircumcision,  but  a  new 
creature'  (Gal.  6 :  15). — -Contended  with  him.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising that  the  baptism  of  a  Gentile  should  have  produced  a  sensation 
among  the  Jewish  Christians.  They  reverenced  the  INIosaic  Law  and 
the  ritual  they  had  received  from  their  fathers.  They  were  of  divine 
origin.  The  admission  of  Cornelius  to  the  privileges  of  the  Messiah's 
kingdom  shocked  their  prejudices.  We  can  here  see  how  far  they 
were  from  understanding  the  full  significance  of  Christ's  life. 

Ver.  3.  Didst  eat  "with  them.  This  step  involved  all  the  rest. 
See  on  10:  28,  28.  It  was  not  the  communicating  the  Gospel  to  the 
Gentiles  which  they  grudged,  but  the  communicating  it  in  such  a  way 
as  to  do  violence  to  the  most  cherished  principles  of  the  past. 

Ver.  4.     Expounded  the  matter.     This  was  his  most  judicious 


150  ACTS  XI.  [11:  5-10. 

5  I  was  in  the  city  of  Joppa  praying :  and  in  a  trance 
I  saw  a  vision,  a  certain  vessel  descending,  as  it  were 
a  great  sheet  let  down  from  heaven  by  four  corners ; 

6  and  it  came  even  unto  me :  upon  the  which  when  I 
had  fastened  mine  eyes,  I  considered,  and  saw  the 
four-footed  beasts  of  the  earth  and  wild  beasts  and 

7  creeping  things  and  fowls  of  the  heaven.  And  I 
heard  also  a  voice  saying  unto  me.  Rise,  Peter;  kill 

8  and  eat.  But  I  said,  Not  so.  Lord :  for  nothing  com- 
mon or  unclean  hath  ever  entered  into  my  mouth. 

9  But  a  voice  answered  the  second  time  out  of  heaven, 
What  God  hath   cleansed,  make  not  thou  common. 

10  And  this  was  done  thrice :  and  all  were  drawn  up  again 

course.  A  simple  statement  of  the  facts  was  the  most  likely  to  be  per- 
suasive. He  did  not  argue.  The  mere  telling  of  the  story  was  a  proof 
of  the  divine  teaching  in  this  case,  which  was  far  beyond  any  argu- 
ment. 

Ver.  5.  I  was  in  the  city  of  Joppa  praying.  It  was  essential 
that  Peter  should  name  the  place  where  this  remarkable  experience 
had  occurred,  and  mention  the  fact  that  he  was  engaged  ifi  prayer 
when  this  strange  series  cf  events  began.  This  was  his  starting-point. 
— In  a  trance  I  savvr  a  vision.  To  them,  so  far  from  suggesting 
any  difficulty,  this  would  be  persuasive.  It  was  strictly  according  to 
all  they  had  been  taught  in  their  knowledge  of  early  Jewish  history. 
In  addressing  Cornelius  it  would  have  been  out  of  place,  especially 
since  all  that  was  seen  in  the  trance  had  a  Hebrew  coloring.  The 
essential  point  for  Peter  (10:  28)  to  urge  on  the  centurion  was,  that 
God  had  by  some  mode  brought  him  to  a  new  religious  conviction. — 
It  came  even  unto  me.  This  is  an  addition  which  imparts  much 
liveliness  to  the  story  as  told  by  Peter  himself,  and  an  important  one, 
as  showing  that  the  circumstances  of  the  trance  were  not  vaguely  ap- 
prehended, but  that  he  saw  everything  definitely  and  distinctly. 
Peter's  account  is  more  vivid  than  that  in  the  last  chapter.  We  are 
listening  here  to  the  eye-witness. 

Ver.  6.  And  -wild  beasts.  This  adds  to  the  emphasis  of  the 
surprise  felt  by  Peter  on  contemplating  a  n:\ultitude  of  all  kinds  of 
animals,  and  hearing  a  command  giving  sanction  for  his  eating  of  them 
indiscriminately. 

Ver.  9.  A  voice  ans-wered  the  second  time  out  of  heaven. 
The  word  'answered'  is  more  definite  and  lively  than  that  used  in  10: 
15;  and  the  phrase  'from  heaven'  is  an  addition,  which  would  have 
its  force  for  Peter's  present  hearers. 

Ver.  10.     All  were  drawn  up  again  into  heaven.     There  is 


11:  11-13.]  ACTS  XL  161 

11  into  heaven.  And  behold,  forthwith  three  men  stood 
before  the  house  in  which  we  were,  having  been  sent 

12  from  Csesarea  unto  me.  And  the  Spirit  bade  me  go 
with  them,  making  no  distinction.  And  these  six 
brethren  also  accompanied  me ;  and  we  entered  into 

13  the  man's  house :  and  he  told  us  how  he  had  seen  the 
angel  standing  in  his  house,  and  saying.  Send  to  Joppa, 

more  life  in  this  phrase  than  in  what  we  find  in  Acts  10:  16,  and  it  is 
likewise  more  suitable  to  the  action  of  the  'ropes'  seen  in  the  trance. 

Ver.  11.  Forthwith  three  men,  etc.  The  apostle  calls  his 
hearers  to  note,  the  startling  coincidence  of  this  arrival.  He  says 
nothing  of  the  trouble  taken  by  the  messengers  in  inquiring  for  the 
house  of  Simon  the  tanner,  and  of  their  manner  of  presenting  them- 
selves before  the  gate.  Nor  does  he  say  anything  of  the  intense  pre- 
occupation of  his  mind  when  the  messengers  suddenly  arrived.  That 
which  it  was  essential  for  the  Apostles  and  elders  to  mark  was  the 
visible  presence  of  God's  hand  in  the  transaction.  This  was  an  argu- 
ment, the  overpowering  force  of  which  they  could  not  easily  resist. 

Yer.  12.  The  Spirit  bade  me  go  -with  them.  The  words 
'get  thee  down,'  which  we  find  in  the  direct  narrative  (10:  20)  are 
omitted  here.  This  is  consistent.  Peter  had  said  nothing  of  having 
gone  up  to  the  house-top. — These  six  brethren  also  accompa- 
nied me.  Here  we  learn  for  the  first  time  two  facts  respecting  these 
his  companions  of  the  circumcision,  that  they  were  sixin  number,  and  that 
they  had  returned  with  him  to  Jerusalem.  The  phrase  '  these  six  breth- 
ren,' marks  the  vividness  of  his  appeal  to  his  hearers — We  entered 
into  the  man's  house.  Peter  condenses  into  a  very  short  space 
the  account  of  the  journey  and  the  reception,  which,  in  ch.  10  is  given 
at  some  length.  Another  point,  too,  we  should  not  fail  to  remark. 
Peter  simply  terms  Cornelius  'the  man.'  There  would  have  been 
nothing  persuasive  in  his  dwelling  on  the  military  rank  of  Cornelius, 
his  personal  character  or  his  habits  of  prayer  and  almsgiving.  On  the 
other  hand,  there  was  much  point  in  his  saying,  however  briefly,  that 
he  ^entered  into  the  man's  hovse.'  This  was  the  very  ground  of  the 
censure  under  which  Peter  had  fallen  (ver.  3). 

Ver.  13.  Ho"w  he  had  seen  the  angel.  This  was  an  important 
part  of  the  story  as  it  reached  the  ears  of  the  Apostles  at  Jerusalem. 
This  mode  of  making  a  revelation  was  in  accordance  with  Hebrew  his- 
tory, and  with  their  own  experience  after  the  Resurrection  and  at  the 
Ascension.  The  appearance  of  an  angel  to  Cornelius  raised  a  serious 
question  demanding  very  careful  attention. — In  his  house.  The 
appearance  of  the  angel  in  his  very  house,  rendered  the  case  much 
stronger.  Not  only  did  it  make  the  risk  of  illusion  less  probable,  but 
it  seemed  to  give  a  kind  of  sacredness  to  that  house,  the  entering  of 
which  by  Peter  they  had  so  severely  blamed. 


152  ACTS  XL  [11:  U-18. 

u  and  fetch  Simon,  whose  surname  is  Peter;  who  shall 
speak  unto  thee  words,  whereby  thou  shalt  be  saved, 

15  thou  and  all  thy  house.  And  as  I  began  to  speak,  the 
Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them,  even  as  on  us  at  the  begin- 

16  ning.  And  I  remembered  the  word  of  the  Lord,  how 
that  he  said,  John  indeed  baptized  with  water ;  but  ye 

17  shall  be  baptized  ^  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  If  then  God 
gave  unto  them  the  like  gift  as  he  did  also  unto  us, 
when  we  believed  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  was 

18  I,  that  I  could  withstand  God  ?  And  when  they 
heard  these  things,  they  held  their  peace,  and  glorified 

1  Or,  in. 

Ver.  14.  Thou  and  all  thy  house.  '  All  thy  house '  is  a  special 
addition  here.  The  promise  is  in  harmony  with  the  preparation  made 
for  the  Gospel  in  the  house  of  Cornelius,  as  implied  in  10:  2,  7,  22,  24, 
and  with  the  results  of  Peter's  preaching,  as  described  in  10:  44. 

Vef.  15.  As  I  began  to  speak.  From  this  we  see  that  Peter 
was  intending  to  say  more  than  is  recorded  in  10:  35-44.  The  Jescent 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  interrupted  his  address. — As  on  us  at  the  begin- 
ning. And  therefore  miraculously,  with  signs  audible  or  visible  or 
both.  The  phrase  'at  the  beginning'  is  the  same  which  we  find  at  the 
opening  of  John's  Gospel  and  at  the  opening  of  Genesis.  Peter  claimed 
Pentecost  as  the  starting-point  of  a  new  dispensation.  And  yet  eight 
or  ten  years  had  elapsed  since  that  day.  During  this  time  Christianity 
had  been  limited  to  the  Jews  and  proselytes  to  the  Jewish  religion, 
and  the  community  of  the  believers  had  been,  as  it  were,  simply  a 
Hebrew  synagogue.  A  second  Pentecost  at  Caesarea  seemed  necessary 
to  supplement  the  first  Pentecost  at  Jerusalem. 

Ver.  16.  And  I  remembered  the  word  of  the  Lord.  'Ye 
shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,'  etc.  (Acts  1 :  5).  There  is 
great  interest  in  observing  how  Peter  describes  what  had  been  the 
process  of  his  own  mind  at  that  critical  moment.  The  words  of  Christ 
now  came,  as  Hackett  says,  into  Peter's  mind  'with  a  new  sense  of 
their  meaning  and  application.' 

Ver.  17.  "When  we  believed  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
It  was  in  virtue  of  faith,  as  Bengel  says,  and  not  because  of  circum- 
cision, that  they  themselves  hnd  received  the  Holy  Ghost.  Hence  the 
like  faith  among  Gentiles  was  entitled  to  the  like  blessing.  We  should 
mark  the  stress  laid  upon  faith  in  the  narrative  above  ( 10:  43). — "Who 
■was  I,  that  I  could  -withstand  God  ?  It  would  be  better  thus, 
'Who  was  I,  that  I  should  be  able  to  hinder  God?'  The  whole  had 
been  so  evidently  God's  doing,  that  Peter  felt  as  nothing  in  the  presence 
of  these  great  facts. 

Ver.  18.     They  held  their  peace,  and  gloiified  God.     The 


11 :  19.]  ACTS  XI.  163 

God,  saying,  Then   to   the   Gentiles   also  hath  God 
granted  repentance  unto  life. 

Chapter  11 :  19-26, 

Further  Diffusion  of  the  Gospel,  and  Mission  of  Barnabas* 

19  They  therefore  that  were  scattered  abroad  upon  the 
tribuktion  that  arose  about  Stephen  travelled  as  far 
as  Phoenicia,  and  Cyprus,  and  Antioch,  speaking  the 

climax  of  this  history  is  most  beautiful.  Probably  there  was  a  solemn 
pause,  when  Peter  ceased  to  speak.  But  not  only  did  they  acquiesce 
in  that  to  which  no  reply  could  be  given,  but  they  broke  out  into  praise 
and  thanksgiving. — Repentance  unto  life.  When  the  grace  of 
repentance  is  given,  spiritual  life  is  the  result. 

♦Practical  Notes. — The  early  Church  had  many  things  to  learn.  This  was  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  Loi  d's  words  to  the  disciples, '  I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you, 
but  ye  cannot  bear  them  now '  (John  16 :  12).  God  gradually  revealed  to  the  early  Chiis- 
tians  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  the  persecutions  they  would  be  called  upon  to  endure,  etc. 
It  was  so  with  this  great  truth  which  Peter  had  been  taught  at  Joppa,  that  the  Gospel 
was  to  be  given  freely  to  the  Gentiles  as  well  as  to  the  Jews.  It  is  evident  that  the 
feelings  of  Peter  before  his  vision,  were  shared  by  the  church  at  Jerusalem  as  a  whole. 
They  called  Peter  to  account  for  his  cordial  conduct  towards  and  baptism  of  Cornelius. 
— The  prejudices  of  the  Jewish  Christians  against  admitting  the  Gentiles  into  the 
Church  ought  not  to  astonish  us,  but  the  subsequent  heartiness  with  which  Paul  and 
Barnabas  and  others  preached  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles  may  well  do  so.  Only  the 
power  of  the  Gospel  and  the  grace  of  the  Spirit  are  sufficient  to  explain  this  change  of 
sentiment.— An  honest,  straight  forward  testimony  is  more  convincing  than  elaborate 
theories.  Peter's  speech  was  a  cool  and  temi)erate  narrative  of  focts.  He  spoke  like  a 
man  who  was  himself  convinced,  and  his  testimony  carried  convictir^n  to  the  audience 
of  Apostles  and  brethren.— The  Christian  graces  and  a  Christian  life  are  the  only  in- 
fallible evidences  of  the  operation  of  the  Spirit  upon  the  heart.  The  Apostles  recog- 
nized that  the  Holy  Ghost  had  descended  upon  Cornelius  by  the  outward  Pentecostal 
manifestations.  'Show  us  thy  works'  and  this  will  convince  us  of  thy  faith.— 'God 
grants  to  the  Gentiles  repentance  unto  life'  (ver.  IS),  yea  to  all  of  whatever  condition 
or  nation  wno  accept  the  offer  of  His  grace  in  ChrLst.-  The  extensive  space  given  in  the 
Acts  to  the  conversion  of  Cornelius,  is  due  to  tlie  great  importance  of  the  principle 
involved,  against  wliich  were  arrayed  the  deepest  prejudices  and  scruples  of  the  Jews. 
Only  a  supernatural  revelation  could  have  convinced  Peter.— Peter  was  not  deemed 
infallible  or  he  would  not  have  been  called  upon  to  answer  for  hia  conduct. 

Further  Diffusion  of  the  Gospel  and  the  3Iission  of  Barnabas,  vers.  19-26. 

Ver.  19.  They  that  were  scattered  abroad,  etc.  The  death 
of  Stephen  was  the  first  tragedy  in  a  prolonged  and  violent  persecution 
(8:  1-4).     But  that  which  at  the  time  seemed  to  be  an  irreparable 


154  ACTS  XI.  [11:  20. 

20  word  to  none  save  only  to  Jews.  But  there  were  some 
of  them,  men  of  Cyprus  and  Cyrene,  who,  when  they 
were  come  to  Antioch,  spake  unto  the  ^Greeks  also, 

1  Many  ancient  authorities  read  Grecian  Jews. 

calamity  to  the  Church,  became  the  occasion  of  a  wider  diffusion  of 
Christianity.  His  martyrdom,  in  fact,  led  immediately  to  the  tirst 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  Pagans,  after  the  conversion  of  Cornelius ; 
and  a  wide  diffusion  of  blessing,  in  consequence  of  a  great  calamity,  has 
been  the  experience  of  the  Church  on  many  occasions  since.  It  is  with 
the  progress  of  Revelation  as  with  the  progress  of  Science.  When  a 
signal  manifestation  of  new  truth  is  at  hand,  there  are  commonly  pre- 
ludes and  preparations  in  more  places  than  one.  Inspiration  and 
Induction  are,  indeed,  strongly  contrasted  with  one  another;  but  the 
following  words  of  the  late  Dr.  Whewell  may,  without  irreverence,  be 
quoted  in  illustration  of  the  matter  before  us:  'Such  epochs  have  been 
preceded  by  a  period,  which  we  may  call  their  Prelude,  during  which 
the  ideas  and  facts  on  which  they  turned  were  called  into  action ; — 
were  gradually  evolved  into  clearness  and  connection,  permanency  and 
certainty ;  till  at  last  the  discovery  which  marks  the  Epoch,  seized  and 
fixed  for  ever  the  truth  which  till  then  had  been  obscurely  and  doubt- 
fully discerned'  {History  of  the  Inductive  Sciences,  i.  13). — Phoenicia. 
This  was  a  strip  of  land  along  the  Mediterranean,  the  principal  cities 
of  which  were  Tyre  and  Sidon.  It  was  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  long  and  about  twenty  broad.  A  good  Roman  road  along  the 
coast  made  the  communication  easy  between  Antioch  and  Judaea. — 
Cyprus.  In  chap.  4:  36  this  is  named  as  the  birthplace  of  Barnabas. 
*It  is  an  island  in  the  Mediterranean  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
long  by  fifty  wide.  It  was  the  Chittim  of  the  Old  Testament  (Num.  24: 
24).  In  1878  it  passed  from  Turkey  into  the  hands  of  England. — An- 
tioch. See  note  on  ver.  26. — Save  only  to  Jews.  In  distinction 
to  the  Greeks  in  the  next  verse  who  were  Pagans  (Gentiles). 

Ver.  20.  Men  of  Cyprus.  It  is  quite  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
one  of  them  was  Mnason,  who  in  21:  16  is  spoken  of  as  'an  early 
disciple.'  We  should  have  been  sure,  but  for  what  follows,  that 
Barnabas  was  one  of  them.  The  Jews  were  very  numerous  in  Cyprus. 
About  this  time  Cyprus  and  Cyrene  were  united  in  one  Roman  pro- 
vince. Thus  there  was  close  political  connection  between  them,  as 
well  as  active  mercantile  intercourse.  See  on  ch.  4 :  36. — Cyrene. 
In  that  part  of  the  coast  of  Africa,  of  which  Cyrene  was  the  capital, 
immediately  to  the  west  of  Egypt,  the  Jews  were  very  numerous. 
The  'Cyrenians'  had  a  synagogue  of  their  own  in  Jerusalem  (6:  9). 
Jews  'from  the  parts  of  Libya  about  Cyrene'  were  in  Jerusalem  at 
Pentecost  (2:  10) ;  and  one  such  Cyrenian  Jew  at  least  (Luke  23:  26) 
was  at  the  passover  immediately  preceding.  Another  incidental  proof 
of  the  existence  of  a  strong  Jewish  element  in  Cyrene,  and  of  the  con- 
nection of  this  place  with  the  early  spread  of  Christianity,  is  found  in 


11:  21,22.]  ACTS  XI.  155 

21  preaching  the  Lord  Jesus.  And  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  was  with  them  :  and  a  great  number  that  be- 

22  lieved  turned  unto  the  Lord.  And  the  report  con- 
cerning them  came  to  the  ears  of  the  church  which 
was  in  Jerusalem :  and  they  sent  forth  Barnabas  aS 

13:  1.  where  '  Lucius  of  Cvrene"  is  named  as  one  of  the  'prophets.' — 
"When  they  were  come  to  Antioch,  We  should  observe  how 
our  thoughts  are  drawn  to  this  place,  as  to  a  focus  on  which  all  our 
attention  i^  presently  to  be  concentrated.  The  name  of  this  city  oc- 
curs six  times  in  nine  verses. — Spake  unio  the  Greeks.  We  here 
encounter  one  of  the  most  important  textual  difficulties  in  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  true  reading  here  is  'E'/./.r/iag 
(Greeks  or  Heathens)  or  'E/./.r/viarar  {Grecian  Jeic^),  as  in  the  margin. 
The  manuscripts  are  very  evenly  balanced.  The  Sinaitic  MS.  has  the 
strange  reading  £ia-);y£/.wrdc  [evangelisU),  which  is  clearly  wrong, 
while  it  seems  to  point  to  'E'/.'/Tjvmrdc  as  that  which  was  intended. 
On  the  whole,  the  evidence  is  in  favor  of  'E'/.7.r/iicrac,  or  Grecian  Jews 
[which  is  adopted  by  Westcott  and  Hort].  On  the  other  hand,  the 
majority  of  commentators  [and  textual  critics.  Tischendorf,  Lachraann, 
Alford,  Meyer.  Plumptre]  prefer  the  reading  'Greeks.'  as  it  is  in  the 
Revised  Version.  This  reailing  alone  brings  out  a  sharp  contrast  be- 
tween those  who  now  received  the  Gospel  and  those  who  had  received 
it  previously.  Dean  Alford  says  that  '  nothing  to  his  mind  is  plainer 
than  that  these  men  were  uncircumcised  Gentiles.'  It  is  difficult  to 
resist  such  unanimity  of  opinion.  Yet  the  very  facility  with  which 
the  problem  is  solved  inspires  some  doubt.  It  is  always  hazardous,  in 
such  cases,  to  adopt  the  easier  reading. 

Ver.21.  The  hand  of  the  Lord  was  w^ith  them.  That  is,  those 
who  were  preaching  the  Gospel  to  new  hearers.  'The  hand  of  the 
Lord'  is  an  Oriental  expression,  and  seems  to  indicate  the  manifesta- 
tion of  miraculous  powers,  which  indeed  we  should  expect  on  an  occa- 
sion like  this.  Luke  uses  this  phr;xse  in  two  other  places  (Gospel,  1: 
60;  Acts  4:  301.  Some  manuscripts  add  here  the  words  'so  as  to 
heal  them.'  Their  authority,  however,  does  not  justify  our  seeing  in 
this  addition  more  than  a  gloss:  and  the  suggestion  probably  came 
from  Luke  o:  17. — A  great  number  that  believed.  A  consider- 
able Christian  community  was  formed  rapidly  at  Antioch.  as  had  been 
the  case  at  Caesarea.  Though  Ctesarea  was  probably  first  in  order  of 
time,  Antioch  speeiUly  became  greater  in  importance  (vers.  24,  26). 

Ver.  22.  The  church  -which  was  in  Jerusalem.  The  church 
in  Jerusalem  is  here  spoken  of  collectively,  as  a  local  body,  *as  we 
later  hear  of  the  church  at  Corinth  (1  Cor.  1:  2),  and  the  churches  of 
Galatia  (Gal.  1:2!.  The  term  church,  however,  continued  to  be  used  as 
a  designation  of  the  whole  body  of  Christians  (Col.  1 :  IS). — *They 
sent  forth  Barnabas.     Barnabas  was  himself  from  Cyprus  (4:  36), 


15G  ACTS  XL  [11:  23-25. 

23  far  as  Antioch :  who,  when  he  was  come,  and  had 
seen  the  grace  of  God,  Avas  glad;  and  he  exhorted 
them  all,   4hat  with   purpose  of  heart  they  would 

24  cleave  unto  the  Lord :  for  he  was  a  good  man,  and 
full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  faith :  and  much  people 

25  was  added  unto  the  Lord.     And  he  went  forth  to 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  read  that  they  would  cleave  unto  the  purpose  of  their  heart  i 

in  the  Lord. 

and  for  this  reason  it  was  fitting  to  send  him  to  Antioch,  where  Cypri- 
otes were  laboring.  On  the  other  hand,  he  would  be  likely  to  be  in 
sympathy  wi^  the  work  among  the  Gentiles,  as  he  was  a  friend  of 
Paul  (9:  27Jt  The  church  at  Jerusalem  had  before  sent  John  and 
Peter  to  direct  the  work  among  the  Samaritans  (8:  14). 

Ver.  23.  "Who,  when  he  was  come,  and  had  seen  the 
grace  of  God,  was  glad.  Somewhat  of  surprise  is  indicated  in 
this  language.  However  this  may  be,  we  see  in  this  rejoicing,  and  in 
hi3  attributing  all  this  blessing  to  the  free  goodness  of  God,  the  marks 
of  a  true  Christian  heart.  There  was  no  grudging  of  the  freedom  of 
the  grace,  and  no  doubting  of  the  reality  of  the  divine  work  which  he 
saw.  Barnabas  was  clearly  the  right  man  to  have  sent  to  Antioch. — 
He  exhorted  them  all.  He  did  at  Antioch  exactly  that  which  at 
Jerusalem  (4:  36)  had  led  to  his  receiving  the  title  'son  of  exhortation.' 
The  word  'all'  in  this  passage  is  not  without  its  significance.  It  com- 
municates to  the  narrative  an  impression  of  diligent  work  and  copious 
success. — That  with  purpose  of  heart  they  would  cleave 
unto  the  Lord.  He  communicated  no  new  doctrine.  They  were 
already  in  the  right  way.  His  exhortation  was  simply  to  perseverance 
and  progress. 

Ver.  24.  He  was  a  good  man.  The  word  'good'  does  not  mean 
merely  that  Barnabas  was  a  man  of  earnest  religious  character.  This 
is  expressed  by  the  words  which  follow.  Rather  it  denotes  that  he 
was  a  man  of  a  genial,  generous  and  candid  disposition.  This  was  the 
reason  why  he  unfeignedly  rejoiced  in  what  he  saw  at  Antioch. 

Ver.  25.  He  went  forth  to  Tarsus  to  seek  for  Saul.  The 
history  of  Paul  is  here  suddenly  resumed.  We  have  no  information 
regarding  his  employment  at  Tarsus.  But  we  cannot  imagine  him  to 
have  been  idle  in  his  Master's  cause ;  and  to  this  period  is  probably 
to  be  assigned  the  formation  of  those  Cilician  churches  mentioned  in 
15  :  41.  It  is  evident  that  the  future  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  had  not 
been  lost  sight  of  by  the  Church.  It  is  possible  that  Barnabas  knew 
something  of  the  vision  in  the  Temple  (22:  21)  when  Saul  was  desig- 
nated as  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  The  character  of  Barnabas  is  set 
before  us  in  a  most  attractive  light,  in  that  he  brought  out  of  retire- 
ment one  whose  eminence  was  sure  to  supersede  and  eclipse  his  own. 
This  has  been  forcibly  noted  by  Calvin.     Renan  sometimes  displays 


11:  26.]  ACTS  XI.  157 

26  Tarsus  to  seek  for  Saul :  and  when  he  had  found  him, 
he  brought  him  unto  Antioch. '  And  it  came  to  pass, 
that  even  for  a  whole  year  they  were  gatliered  together 
^with  the  church,  and  taught  much  people;  and  that 
the  disciples  were  called  Christians  first  in  Antioch. 

1  Gr.  in. 

extraordinary  sagacity  in  seizing  the  true  import  of  points  of  the  apos- 
tolic history  ;  and  his  remarks  concerning  Barnabas  are  very  just  and 
happy.  He  says  that  '  Christianity  has  been  unjust  towards  this  great 
man  in  not  placing  him  in  the  first  rank  amoag  its  founders,'  that 
'every  good  and  genei'ous  thought  had  Barnabas  for  its  patron.' 

Ver.  26.  The  disciples  ^vere  called  Christians  first  in 
Antioch.  The  name  '  Christian  '  marked  the  arrival  of  a  neAv  fact 
in  the  world.  This  new  fact  was  the  formation  of  a  self-existent,  self- 
conscious  Church  of  Christ,  independent  of  Judaism.  This  was  only 
ten  years  after  the  crucifixion.  As  to  the  origin  of  the  name,  it  cer- 
tainly was  not  given  by  Jews,  who  would  never  have  sanctioned  the 
opinion  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  Christ  or  the  Messiah.  Nor  did 
the  followers  of  our  Lord  assume  it,  for  they  employed  the  titles 
'  disciples,'  '  brethren,'  '  saints.'  The  term  came  from  without,  and 
from  the  Pagans.  Its  form,  too,  seems  to  show  that  it  had  a  Latin 
origin.  We  are  familiar  in  history  with  such  terms  as  Fo?npe>a?is  and 
Vifeliians ;  and  in  the  New  Testament  itself  (Matt.  22:  16)  with 
Herodians.  It  is  most  probable  that  this  new  term  at  Antioch  origi- 
nated with  the  public  authorities,  who  gave  the  designation  to  the  com- 
munity which  began  then  to  make  its  existence  felt,  and  which  was 
bound  together  by  allegiance  to  one  '  Christus.'  It  is  possible,  how- 
ever, that  the  name  was  given  by  the  populace  in  deri-^ion.  In  the 
two  other  places  of  the  New  Testament  where  the  name  occurs  (Acts 
26  :  28  ;  1  Pet.  4:  16),  it  is  used  to  express  contempt.  The  place 
where  this  name  was  given  seems  to  fit  the  occurrence  in  a  remarkable 
manner.  Antioch,  the  most  important  city  of  Roman  Asia,  and  the 
third  in  rank  among  the  cities  of  the  Roman  world,  had  a  character 
peculiarly  cosmopolitan.  Less  distinguished  for  general  culture  than 
Alexandria,  it  was  even  more  important  than  that  city  in  the  military 
and  political  sense.  The  situation  of  Antioch  had  much  to  do  with  its 
history.  It  stood  '  near  the  abrupt  angle  formed  by  the  coasts  of 
Syria  and  Asia  Minor,  and  in  the  opening  where  the  Orontes  passes 
between  the  ranges  of  Lebanon  and  Taurus.  By  its  harbor  of  Seleucia 
it  was  in  connection  with  all  the  trade  of  the  Mediterranean  ;  and, 
through  the  open  country  behind  Lebanon,  it  was  conveniently  ap- 
proached by  the  caravans  from  Mesopotamia  and  Arabia.  It  was  al- 
most an  Oriental  Rome,  in  which  all  the  forms  of  the  civilized  life  of 
the  Empire  found  a  representative  '  (Howson  :  Life  and  Epistles  of  St. 
Paul).  It  was  famous  for  the  beauty  of  its  position  and  the  splendor 
of  its  buildings,  and  infamous  for  the  profligacy  and  fraud,  sorcery 


158  ACTS  XL  [11:  27. 

Chapter  11:  27-30. 

Charitable  3Iission  of  Baniabas  and  Saul  to  Jerusalem, 

27      Now  ill  these  days  there  came  down  prophets  from 

and  effeminacy  of  its  people.  Its  Christian  history  was  subsequently 
very  eminent ;  for  it  became  the  seat  of  one  of  the  five  patriarchates 
of  the  Church,  and  of  a  famous  school  of  theological  thought.  Here 
we  are  called  to  notice  that  Antioch  was  the  mother  of  Christian  mis- 
sions, and  the  author  of  the  Christian  name. 

*  Practical  Notes — A  wise  Providence  may  overrule  what  often  seems  to  be  an 
unmitigated  evil  for  good.  Stephens  martyrdom  was  a  hard  blow  at  the  Church. 
Such  a  powerful  and  fervent  young  witness  could  ill  be  spared.  But  the  persecution 
which  brought  about  his  death  scattered  the  early  Christians,  who  went  even  as  far  as 
Cyprus  and  Antioch  preaching  the  Gospel.  Gods  dispensations  can  ouly  be  read  in 
the  light  of  after  developments.  The  seed  blown  by  the  wind  and  covered  under  the 
dark  soil  bursts  into  a  plant  and  tree.  The  Church  and  the  individual  are  tossed  about 
and  trcubled  with  sorrow,  but  they  learn  to  trust  more  implicitly  in  God,  practise  the 
Christian  virtues  of  patience  and  perseverance,  and  so  emerge  from  the  apparently 
dark  dispensation  purified  and  strong. — Cliristian  virtue  developed  in  the  midst  of 
vice  and  corruption,  and  the  Church  grew  in  heathen  cities  which  were  most  effemi- 
nate and  profligate.  Antioch  was  the  second  great  centre  of  early  Christianity.  The 
transition  from  Jerusalem  was  a  transition  to  one  of  the  largest  but  most  con  upt 
cities  in  the  Roman  empire.  It  is  important  to  rememl>er  that  the  early  preachers  of 
the  Gospel  went  into  the  great  centres  of  commerce  and  power,  and  to  those  very  cities 
where  there  was  most  of  corruption  and  degeneracy,  as  Antioch,  Corinth,  Rome,  or 
where  th  e  religious  or  philosophical  prejudices  against  the  teachings  of  the  Gospel 
were  most  inveterate,  as  Ephestis  and  Athens.-The  Gospel  is  a  power  in  the  world 
overcoming  the  world  and  conquering  it.  The  early  Christians  did  not  go  apart  and 
form  towns  of  their  own.  They  continued  in  the  heathen  cities  that  they  might  be 
as  leaven,  transforming  the  very  life  of  the  cities  into  a  Christian  life.  So  the  highest 
principle  of  the  individual  Christian  is  not  to  shun  pain  and  temptation,  but  to  over- 
come them  by  the  power  of  the  new  man.-The  witnessing  for  Christ  seoms  not  to 
have  been  confined  to  the  officers  of  the  Church.  Those  who  preached  for  the  first 
time  at  Antioch  do  not  seem  to  have  had  any  apostle  among  their  number.-Preaching 
is  the  grand  agency  for  the  spreading  of  the  Gospel.— The  course  of  Barnabas  in  call- 
ing upon  Saul  (ver.  25)  for  assistance  in  the  work  at  Antioch  is  very  instructive.  Al- 
though he  was  held  in  high  esteem  himself,  he  was  willing  to  be  only  a  directing 
hand.  In  true  humility  he  sought  for  the  aid  of  one  who  was  to  be  far  more  distin- 
guished than  himself.  He  led  Paul  out  of  his  retirement,  and  had  he  done  nothing 
grea'er  than  this  he  would  have  the  gratitude  of  the  Church  as  Ananias  has  it  who 
baptized  Paul.— Co-operation  in  Christian  effort  was  authorized  by  the  Lord  when  he 
sent  the  disciples  out  two  by  two,  and  is  commended  by  the  history  of  tlie  Church  at 
Antioch  and  the  example  of  the  Apostles  generally  in  the  Acts.— Christians !  a  name 
often  bringing  ignominy  and  death  upon  its  bearers,  but  one  which  identifies  us  with 
Christ  and  his  righteousness  and  glory. 

Charitable  Mission  of  Barnabas  and  Saul  to  Jerusalem,  ver.  27-30. 

Ver.  27.     In  these  days.     This  indication  of  date  is  general  and 


11:  28.]  ACTS  XL  159 

28  Jerusalem  unto  Antioch.  And  there  stood  up  one  of 
them  named  Agabus,  and  signified  by  the  Spirit  that 
there  should  be  a  great  famine  over  all  ^  the  world ; 

1  Gr.  the  inhabited  earth. 

vague ;  but,  no  doubt,  the  occurrence  here  related  took  plnce  -within 
the  year  of  active  ministration  at  Antioch,  mentioned  in  the  preced- 
ing verse.  Prophets  from  Jerusalem.  For  the  'prophets'  of 
tho  New  Testament,  see  note  on  13:  1.  .They  were  inspired  teachers, 
whose  duties  were  by  no  means  limited  to  the  prediction  of  future 
events,  but  included  preaching  the  Word  (15:  32,  etc.).  This  was  an 
instance  which  had  regard  to  the  future.  Sometimes  these  prophets 
were  women  (21 :  9,  comp.  2:   17,  18). 

Ver.  28.  Thore  stood  up  one  of  them  named  Agabus.  He 
appears  again  many  years  later  (21  :  10)  in  the  same  propJietic  charac- 
ter. In  the  present  instance  much  life  is  given  to  the  occasion  by  its 
being  sail  that  it  was  when  he  'stood  up'  that  he  uttered  his  pro- 
phecy.— Signified  by  the  Spirit.  This  is  quite  in  harmony  with 
what  we  read  elsewhere  in  this  book  regarding  such  communications. 
There  are  two  very  marked  occasions  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  said  to 
have  given  indications  of  coming  difficulty.  One  was  on  the  Second 
Missionary  Journey  of  Paul,  when  his  steps  were  ultimately  guided 
to  Europe.  His  wish  was  to  proclaim  the  Gospel  in  Asia ;  but  he  was 
*  forbidden  of  the  Holy  Ghost.'  On  this  he  made  effort  to  evangelize 
Bithynii;  'but  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  suffered  them  not'  (Acts  16  :  G,  7). 
The  other  was  at  the  close  of  his  Third  ^Missionary  Journey,  when  he 
went  in  much  despondency  towards  Jerusalem,  '  not  knowing  the 
things  that  should  befall  him  there ; '  only,  he  added,  addressing  the 
Ephesian  elders  at  Miletus,  '  The  Holy  Ghost  testificth  unto  me  in 
every  city,  saying  that  bonds  and  afflictions  abide  me'  (20:  23). — 
Great  famine  over  all  the  world.  We  learn  from  other  his- 
torical sources  that  this  was  a  period  of  much  distress  in  many  parts 
of  the  Roman  empire  through  famine,  and  that  there  was  special  dis- 
tress in  Judnea.  The  term  '  world '  is  used  as  a  vague  designation  of 
the  whole  Roman  empire,  and  equivalent  to  the  Latin  '  orbis  terrarum.* 
Isa.  10:  23. — Which  came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  Claudius. 
This  implies  that  the  present  portion  of  the  apostolic  history  was  not 
written  in  the  reign  of  Claudius.  The  clause  is  to  be  regarded  as  a 
parenthetic  note  ;  and  it  is  an  instance  of  Luke's  habit  of  marking 
dates  accurately  (see  his  Gospel,  1:  5;  2:  2;  3:  1).  This  famine  is 
one  of  the  converging  circumstances  which  lead  us  to  the  year  44  a.  d. 
as  one  of  the  two  critical  dates  which  help  us  to  fix,  in  its  main  fea- 
tures, the  chronology  of  Paul's  life.  *  Claudius  was  emperor  of  Rome 
from  41-54  a.  d.  During  his  reign  frequent  and  extensive  famines 
occurred.  One  of  these  (44  a.  d.)  very  seriously  affected  Judaea  and 
Jerusalem.  The  distress  was  alleviated  by  the  generosity  of  Helena, 
queen  of  Adiabene,  who  sent  stores  of  grain  and  figs  to  Jerusalem. 


160  ACTS  XI.  [11:  29,  SO. 

29  Tvliich  came  to  j)ass  in  the  days  of  Claudius.  And  the 
discijiles,  every  man  according  to  his  ability,  deter- 
mined to  send  ^relief  unto  the  brethren  that  dwelt  in 

30  Judaea :  which  also  they  did,  sending  it  to  the  elders 
by  the  hand  of  Barnabas  and  Saul. 

1  Gr.  for  ministry. 

These  facts  we  have  from  the  two  Roman  historians,  Tacitug  and 
Suetonius,  and  from  Josephus. 

Ver.  119.  The  disciples.  This  designation  of  the  Christians  is 
found  in  current  use  throughout  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  ((3 :  1  ;  0  :  1 ; 
15:  10;  20:  7). — Every  man  according  to  his  ability.  This 
is  a  very  different  aspect  of  giving  pecuniary  relief  from  that  which 
wc  saw  in  the  account  of  the  charity  of  the  earliest  Christians  in  Jeru- 
salem;  and,  if  we  may  venture  to  say  so,  it  is  a  higher  aspect.  The 
principle  here  acted  on,  viz.,  tliat  each  should  give  freely  'as  God  had 
prospered  him,'  is  precisely  that  which  Paul  afterwards  inculcated 
(1  Cor.  IG :  2  ;  2  Cor.  8 :  12),  and  it  is  probable  that  he  had  much  to 
do  here  at  Antioch  with  this  active  Movement  of  charity  in  Sj'ria,  and 
with  its  methodical  arrangements. — The  brethren  that  dwelt  in 
Judaea.  Hero  we  have  another  designation  for  the  Christians,  which 
also  is  found  repeatedly  throughout  thfr  Acts  of  the  Apostles  (9  :  30; 
17:  10;  28:  14,  15).  In  this  place  it  is  probably  used  to  indicate 
tlie  brotherly  feeling  which  existed  between  the  'disciples'  in  An- 
tioch and  Judaea. 

Yer.  SO.  Sending  it  to  the  elders.  This  is  the  first  mention 
of  the  'elders.'  The  Greek  term  is  'presbyter'  {-pta.SvTepQg),  from 
which  'presbytery'  is  derived  and  of  which  'priest'  is  a  contraction. 
A  full  account  of  the  establishment  of  the  diaconate  has  been  given 
(chap.  6).  Not  so  in  the  case  of  the  presbyterate.  On  this  point 
Bishop  Lightfoot  remarks:  'While  the  diaconate  was  an  entirely  new 
creation,  called  forth  by  a  special  emergency,  and  developed  by  tho 
progress  of  events,  the  early  history  of  the  presbyterate  was  diiferent. 
If  the  sacred  historian  dwells  at  length  on  the  institution  of  the  lower 
ofnce,  but  is  silent  about  the  first  beginnings  of  the  higher,  the  explana- 
tion seems  to  be,  that  the  latter  had  not  the  claim  of  novelty  like  the 
former.  As  soon  as  the  expansion  of  the  Church  rendered  some 
organization  necessary,  it  would  form  a  synagogue  of  its  OAvn.  Tho 
Christian  congregation  in  Palestine  long  continued  to  be  designated  by 
this  name  (James  2:2).  .  .  .  With  the  synagogue  itself  they  would 
naturally,  if  not  necessarily,  adopt  the  normal  government  of  a  syna- 
gogue: and  a  body  of  elders  or  presbyters  would  be  chosen  to  direct 
the  religious  worship'  [Commcntarji  on  the  Philippions).  Still  it  is  pro- 
bable that  the  adoption  of  the  presbyterate,  like  the  establishment  of 
the  diaconate,  arose  out  of  special  circumstances ;  and  the  observation 
of  Pressense  seems  just  that  the  seven  deacons  had  by  anticipation  per- 


11:  30.]  ACTS  XI.  161 

formed  the  functions  of  elders,  and  that  the  office  of  the  elders  was 
subsequently  detached  from  the  diaconate.  After  this  time  "we  find 
tae  presbyters  or  elders  part  of  the  Church  organization  in  Jerusalem 
(15:  2),  and  established  everywhere,  as  the  result  of  missionary  work 
(14:  23;  20:  17;  Tit.  1:  5).  The  questions  connected  with  the  corre- 
lative term  'bishop'  {k-icKo-oq)  and  with  episcopacy  will  be  dealt  with 
in  connection  with  20:  28.  The  English  Version  is  consistent  in 
always  rendering  tne  word  presbuteros  by  'elder,'  reserving  the  word 
'priest'  for  hiereus,  as  in  Acts  6:7;  1-4:  13;  Heb.  8:  4.  The  'priest' 
of  the  English  Prayer-Book  is  actually  (as  it  is  etymologically),  the 
'presbyter'  of  the  New  Testament.  Otherwise  in  a  church  which 
appeals  to  Scripture  there  would  be  a  ministry  different  from  that 
whic!i  was  originally  instituted.  *In  the  New  Testament  the  terms 
elder  (or  presbyter)  and  bishop  (episcopos)  arc  interchangeable,  as  is 
apparent  from  Acts  20:  17,  28,  where  Paul  designates  the  elders  of  Mi- 
letus bishops  (King  James'  Version  inconsistently  rendering  the  word 
'overseers').  See  also  Titus  1:  5,  7;  1  Pet.  5:  1,  2,  etc.  The  term 
presbyter  or  elder  was  Jewish,  the  term  bishop  or  overseer,  Greek.  The 
duties  of  the  elders  included  the  general  oversight  of  the  local  churches. 
The  Apostles  were  the  only  officers  superior  to  them  (Acts  15:  2).  The 
bishops  were  not  a  distinct  order  of  officers  (as  Bishop  Lightfoot  has 
ably  shown),  but  identical  with  the  elders.  (See  Excursus  on  this  sub- 
ject at  close  of  chap.  14.) 

ExcTESus  ON  THE  Two  Accoi-KTs  OF  TKE  CONVERSION  OF  CoENELiTS.—  There  are  two 
accounts  of  the  conversion  of  Cornelius, — one  given  by  Luke  in  the  sequence  of  his 
narrative  (10 ;  1-48),  the  other  by  Peter  himself  before  the  '  Apostles  and  elders '  at 
Jerusalem  (11 :  1-17).  On  this  circumstance  Bishop  Wordsworth  observes :  '  A  remark- 
able instance  of  rep/.tition,  showing  the  importance  of  the  subject;  and  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  does  not  disdain  to  use  the  same  or  similar  words  in  relating  the  same  events.' 
Eeuss  who  represents  a  very  different  spirit,  regards  the  repetition  as  simply  an  illus- 
tration of  the  popular  style  of  antiquity,  of  which  the  Old  Testament  offers  numerous 
examples  {Histoire  Apostolique,  p.  131).  There  is  truth,  doubtless,  in  both  these 
criticisms :  and  they  are  not  necessarily  inconsistent  with  one  another.  But  if  we 
were  to  content  ourselves  with  either  of  them  or  both  of  them,  we  should  lose  part  of 
the  instruction  of  this  book  of  Scripture,  and  sacrifice  an  evidential  argument  of  con- 
siderable value.  It  is  probably  good  for  our  edification  that  we  should  gain  our  full 
impression  of  the  whole  history  of  this  remarkable  event  by  a  thoughtful  comparison 
of  the  two  accounts  which  are  given  of  it,  while  from  such  comparison  there  come  to 
view  strong  proofs  of  the  artless  simplicity,  naturalness  and  perfect  truihfulness  of  the 
whole  story.  We  have  here  to  deal  with  the  statement  made  to  Peter  by  the  messen- 
gers of  Cornelius,  and  the  statement  made  by  Cornelius  himself  to  that  apostle  as  well 
as  with  the  two  accounts  of  the  entire  transaction.  The  angel  had  given  to  Cornelius 
an  exact  description  of  the  aix)stle,  furnishing  both  his  name  and  surname,  the  name 
and  employment  of  his  host,  and  the  position  of  the  house  (10 :  5,  6).  The  messengers, 
on  arriving  in  Joppa,  made  their  inquiries  exactly  in  this  form  (10:17,19).  When 
they  give  their  message  to  Peter,  they  describe  the  character  of  Cornelius  in  such  a 
waj-  as  to  produce  persuasion ;  and  especially  they  note  the  respect  in  which  he  was 


162  ACTS  XII.  [12:  1. 

Chapter  12:  1-19. 
The  Martyrdom   of  James   and   the  Imprisonment   and 

Deliverance  of  Peter. 
12:1     Now  about  that  time  Herod  the  king  put  forth 

held  by  the  Jews.  This  is  just  what  we  should  expect  from  discreet  men,  such  as 
Cornelius  would  select  for  such  an  errand  {vers.  7,  S) ;  and  it  is  just  what  Paul  did 
when  he  described  to  his  infuriated  hearers  in  the  Temple  court  the  character  of 
Ananias  at  Damascus,  and  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  in  that  place  (22:  12), 
When  Peter  came  to  Cwsarea  and  asked  for  fuller  information  from  Cornelius  himself, 
the  centurion  described  the  appearance  of  the  angol,  adding  that  he  '  stood '  before  him 
'  in  his  house '  (10  :  30).  These  particulars  were  evidently  adapted  to  convince  Peter 
that  there  had  been  no  illusion.  Another  point  adapted  to  produce  confidence  in  the 
apostle's  mind  and  which  the  direct  narrative  does  not  contain  is,  that  Cornelius  was 
praying  when  the  angel  visited  him.  And  once  more  the  exact  description  of  the 
aposile,  with  his  name  and  surname,  the  name  of  his  host,  and  the  position  of  the 
house,  is  repeated  (10  :  32).  Such  coincidences  are  like  threads,  not  perceptible  at  first 
sight,  but  perceived  on  closer  examination  to  give  coherence  and  strength  to  the  whole 
texture  of  the  narrative.  But  the  chief  point  of  interest  in  this  compjarative  criticisju 
lies  in  the  variations  between  Peter's  apologetic  statement  at  Jerusalem  (11:  4-17 J,  and 
the  direct  narrative  in  chap.  10.  The  problem  he  has  now  to  solve  is,  how  to  present 
his  recent  experience  persuasively  and  yet  trutlifully.  His  account  is  earnest  judi- 
cious, and  natural.  He  is  careful  to  give  to  the  w  hole  history  its  solemn  religious 
aspect,  omitting  mere  details,  which  are  of  no  moment  for  his  argument,  though  they 
are  interesting  and  impqrtant  parts  of  the  narrative,  considered  as  a  mere  narrative. 
Expounding  the  matter  '  in  order,'  he  says  that  he  was  praying  when  the  trance  oc- 
curred (ver.  5),  that  the  voice  which  spake  to  him  came  'from  heaven '  (ver.  9).  He  marks 
the  providential  coincidence  of  the  arrival  of  the  three  men  at  the  critical  moment,  and 
the  distinct  command  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  he  should  go  with  them  (vers.  11,  12). 
He  speaks  emphatically  of  '  the  angel '  (ver.  13).  He  states  that  the. phenomena  which 
followed  were  similar  to  those  at  Pentecost  (ver.  15) ;  he  describes  the  recollection  of 
the  words  of  the  Lord  (ver.  16),  and  concludes  by  saying  that  God  had  given  to  t'he  faith 
of  these  Gentiles  what  He  had  given  to  the  earliest  Hebrew  Christians,  and  that  to  have 
withheld  baptism  would  have  been  a  presumptuous  hindrance  of  God  (ver.  17).  Tlie 
work  w^as  God's  work,  not  his.  This  is  his  main  argument,  but  it  is  worth  while  also 
to  note  what  he  omits  in  his  recital.  He  adds  that  the  great  sheet  moved  towards  him 
and  came  close  to  him  (ver.  5),  and  that  he  '  fastened  his  eyes  on  it  and  considered  it' 
(ver.  6).  Such  things  tended  to  prove  the  reality  and  definiteness  of  the  divine  com- 
munication. He  omits  the  mention  of  the  housetop,  the  hour  of  the  day,  the  preparation 
of  his  meal.  These  were  merely  circumstantial  details,  Unimportant  for  his  i)urpose. 
Peter's  speech  on  this  occasion,  besides  being  of  value  to  the  end  for  which  it  has  here 
been  examined,  furnishes  to  us  an  instructive  e.vample  of  that  which  is  enjoined  by 
Paul,  '  Let  your  speech  be  always  with  grace,  seasoned  with  salt,  that  ye  may  know 
how  ye  ought  to  answer  each  one '  (Col.  4 :  6). 

Martyrdom  of  James,  and  Imprisonment  and  Deliverance  o/Pe^er,  vers,  1-1 9. 
Ver.  1.     Aboat  that  time.     That  is,  when  Paul  and  Barnabas 


12:  2.]  ACTS  XII.  163 

2  his  hands   to  afflict  certain  of  the  church.     And  he 
killed  James   the  brother  of  John  with  the  sword. 

were  sent  on  their  mission  from  Antioch  to  Jerusalem.  About  the 
year  44. — Herod  the  king.  Herod  Agrippa  I.  was  the  grandson 
of  Herod  the  Great,  and  after  the  murder  of  his  father  Aristobulus 
(b.  c.  7)  he  was  sent  to  Kome  to  be  educated.  He  fell  into  disgrace  with 
the  Emperor  Tiberius  towards  the  end  of  his  reign  and  was  imprisoned, 
but  released  by  Caligula  on  his  accession  (37  a.  d.)  and  treated  with 
distinguished  honor.  The  emperor  exchanged  his  iron  chain  for  one 
of  gold  of  equal  weight,  and  bestowed  on  him  the  tetrarchies  of  Philip 
and  Lysanias,  with  the  title  of  king  (37  a.  d.).  To  these  countries 
was  subsequently  added  other  territory,  till  his  dominion  was  equal 
in  area  to  that  of  Herod  the  Great,  his  grandfather.  Like  the  other 
princes  of  his  house  Herod  Agrippa  I.  adopted  a  policy  designed  to 
conciliate  and  win  the  Jewish  people.  The  rest  which  the  Church 
had  enjoyed  (Acts  9:  31)  was  in  great  measure  owing  to  the  hostile 
and  insulting  policy  of  Rome  in  the  reign  of  Caligula,  which  diverted 
the  attention  of  the  Jewish  rulers.  They  were  too  uneasy  and  alarmed 
for  themselves  and  the  Temple,  in  which  Caligula  desired  to  have 
placed  a  statue  of  himself,  to  have  any  leisure  to  devise  a  special  per- 
secution against  the  Christians  ;  but  now  a  new  era  had  commenced 
for  Israel.  Once  more  and  for  the  last  time,  the  ancient  monarchy 
was  united  under  the  sceptre  of  one  sovereign,  who  was  intensely  de- 
sirous to  win  for  himself  popular  favor  among  tH^  Jews.  No  policy 
was  more  likely  to  secure  this  than  to  persecute  that  increasing  sect, 
which  was  so  hated  by  the  Jewish  party  rulers.  This  was  the  reason 
why  '  Herod  put  forth  his  hands  to  afllict  certain  of  the  Church.'  The 
persecution  began  in  earnest  in  the  year  44.  But  before  the  year 
closed  the  king  was  dead  :  stricken  down  in  the  height  of  his  power 
by  a  terrible  and  mysterious  disease.  He  had  no  successor,  and  once 
more  the  Holy  Land  was  degraded  to  the  rank  of  a  mere  province  of 
the  Roman  empire.  The  rulers  in  Jerusalem  were  never  able  again  to 
organize  a  general  persecution  of  the  Christians,  and  after  the  death 
of  Herod,  and  the  consequent  downfall  of  their  hopes,  the  relations 
between  the  Romans  and  the  Jews  became,  each  year,  more  hostile.  In 
less  than  thirty  years  from  this  time  (70  a.  d.)  we  read  of  the  awful 
fate  of  the  city,  and  the  final  dispersion  of  the  nation. 

Yer.  2.  He  killed  James  the  brother  of  John.  He  was 
the  first  of  the  Twelve  to  drink  of  the  cup  of  which  Christ  drank,  and 
to  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  with  which  he  was  baptized  (Matt. 
20:  23).  He  was  the  son  of  Zebedee  the  fisherman  of  Galilee,  and 
Salome,  and  became  one  of  the  three  favorite  disciples,  being  permit- 
ted with  Peter  and  John  to  witness  the  raising  of  the  daughter  of 
Jairus  from  the  dead  (Mark  5:  37) ;  the  glory  of  the  Transfiguration 
(Matt.  17:  1),  and  the  agony  in  Gethsemane  (Matt.  26:  37).  The 
few  words,  with  which  the  fate  of  James  is  related,  have  been  supple- 


164  ACTS  XII.  [12:  3,4. 

3  And  when  he  saw  that  it  pleased  the  Jews,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  seize  Peter  also.     And  those  were  the  days 

4  of  unleavened  bread.     And  when  he  had  taken  him, 

mented  by  a  great  mass  of  legendary  stories,  which  connect  the  mar- 
tyred apostle  with  Spain,  where  he  came  to  be  regarded  as  the  favorite 
saint  and  the  protector  of  its  chivalry.  Clement  of  Alexandria  (a.  d. 
195)  is  said  (Eusebius)  to  have  related  that  '  the  prosecutor  of  James 
was  so  moved  by  witnessing  his  bold  confession  that  he  declared  him- 
self a  Christian.  Accused  and  accuser  were  therefore  hurried  off  to- 
gether, and  on  the  road  the  latter  begging  James  to  grant  him  forgive- 
ness, the  apostle  kissed  him,  saying,  "  Peace  be  to  thee,"  and  they  were 
both  beheaded  together.'  *This  James  must  not  be  confounded  with 
James  the  Lord's  brother  (ver.  17).  He  must  have  been  prominent  in 
the  counsels  of  the  Church  at  Jerusalem,  from  the  very  fact  that  he 
was  chosen  as  the  first  victim  of  the  persecution.  It  was  the  design 
of  the  king  to  put  away  the  distinguished  and  active  leaders  of  the 
Church,  in  the  belief  that  if  they  were  gone  the  organization  would 
dissolve.  The  Roman  emperor  Decius  (240-251),  in  his  persecution 
of  the  Christians  pursued  a  similar  course,  and  struck  at  the  bishops 
and  other  officers  of  the  Church.  Diocletian  (284-305)  directed  his 
persecution  against  the  edifices  and  sacred  books  of  the  Christians. — 
With  the  sword.  This  mode  of  punishment  was  regarded  among 
the  Jews  as  a  disgraceful  death.  Various  reasons  have  been  given  for 
the  extreme  brevity  of  the  account  of  the  martyrdom  of  James. 
Wordsworth's  note  in  this  connection  is  striking:  'It  was  no  part  of 
Luke's  plan  to  write  a  martyrology.  His  work  is  the  book  of  their 
acts  in  life,  not  of  their  sufferings  by  death.  Having  described  one 
martyrdom,  that  of  Stephen,  ....  he  leaves  his  readers  to  infer  that 
the  same  Spirit  who  encouraged  and  animated  the  first  martyr  in  his 
death,  was  with  the  whole  of  the  noble  army  of  martyrs  who  followed 
him  on  the  road  of  suffering  to  glory,  he  therefore  will  not  describe 
the  martyrdom  of  James  .  .  .  nor  even  of  Paul.' 

Ver.  3.  *When  he  saw  that  it  pleased  the  Jews.  The 
object  of  Agrippa  was  to  gain  favor  with  the  Jews.  He  practised  the 
same  craft  and  astute  policy  which  his  grandfather  used,  who  recon- 
structed and  beautified  the  Temple  in  order  to  secure  the  favor  of  his 
Jewish  subjects.  It  is  not  at  all  likely  that  Herod  Agrippa  was  actu- 
ated by  fanatic  zeal  against  the  Christians.  And  that  he  was  not 
actuated  by  any  profound  regard  for  the  sanctity  of  the  Jewish  re- 
ligion is  evident  from  the  divine  honors  he  allowed  to  be  paid  to  him- 
self at  Ctesarea  (vei\  22). — The  days  of  unleavened  bread. 
During  seven  days  at  the  feast  of  Passover  no  leaven  was  allowed  in 
the  houses  of  the  Jews.  The  martyrdom  perhaps  took  place  just  be- 
fore the  feast  of  Passover,  some  eleven  years  after  the  crucifixion  of 
Jesus. 

Ver.  4.     Four  quaternions  of  soldiers.     That  is,  four  bands 


12:  5-7.]  ACTS  XII.  165 

he   put   him   in   prison,  and  delivered  him   to  four 
quaternions  of  soldiers  to  guard  him ;  intending  after 

5  the  Passover  to  bring  him  forth  to  the  people.  Peter 
therefore  was  kept  in  the  prison  :  but  prayer  was 
made   earnestly  of   the   church    unto  God    for   him. 

6  And  when  Herod  was  about  to  bring  him  forth,  the 
same  night  Peter  was  sleeping  between  two  soldiers, 
bound  with  two  chains :  and  guards  before  the  door 

7  kept  the  prison.  And  behold,  an  angel  of  the  Lord 
stood  by  him,  and  a  light  shined  in  the  cell :  and  he 
smote  Peter  on  the  side,  and  awoke  him,  saying.  Pise 

of  soldiere,  each  band  consisting  of  four  men.  These  were  to  relieve 
each  other  in  guarding  the  prisoner.  The  Roman  practice  of  dividing 
the  night  into  four  watches  of  three  hours  each  was  generally- 
adopted  by  the  Jews  of  this  period.  —  Intending  after  the 
Passover.  Herod  wished  to  be  considered  a  strict  observer  of  the 
Law.  The  more  rigid  Jews,  we  learn  from  the  Talmud,  deemed  it  un- 
lawful to  delile  their  solemn  feasts  with  executions  (see  John  18 :  28, 
where  this  dread  of  defilement  affected  the  murderers  of  Jesus).  *The 
Passover  here  means  not  the  Paschal  Supper,  but  the  entire  festival, 
which  lasted  a  week,  and  was  introduced  by  the  Paschal  Supper  (Luke 
22  :  1).  King  James'  Version  here  has  JEtster,  a  translation  which, 
while  it  indicates  quite  approximately  the  date,  conveys  a  totally  false 
notion,  importing  into  that  time  specific  ecclesiastical  services  of  the 
Christian  Church.  —  To  bring  him  forth  to  the  people.  That 
is,  for  trial  and  execution. 

Ver.  5.  Prayer  -w^as  made  earnestly  of  the  church  unto 
God  for  him.  This  verse  is  introduced  between  the  account  of  the 
arrest  and  the  miraculous  deliverance.  It  suggests  the  thought  that 
the  angel's  interference  was  the  result  of  the  prayer.  *The  word 
earnestly  implies  both  persistency  and  intensity  of  supplication.  It  is 
used  of  our  Lord's  prayer  in  Gethsemane  (Luke  22 :  44),  and  the 
same  idea  is  expressed  by  two  clauses  in  Luke  18  :  1. 

Ver.  6.  The  same  night.  That  is,  the  night  before  the  day 
fixed  for  the  execution.  Peter  was  not  missed  by  the  guards  till  sun- 
rise (ver.  18).  It  was,  then,  in  the  fourth  watch,  some  time  between 
three  and  six  o'clock,  that  the  angel  presence  entered  the  prison 
chamber.— Peter  -was  sleeping  between  two  soldiers,  bound 
■with  two  chains.  It  was  the  usual  Roman  custom  to  chain  a 
prisoner  only  to  one  soldier.  Meyer  supposes  that  in  the  case  of  Peter 
the  additional  severity  of  the  double  chain  was  adopted  as  an  extra 
precaution  to  secure  an  important  prisoner  lying  under  sentence  of 
death. 

Ver.  7.     *  An  angel  of  the  Lord,  etc.     The  language  is  identical 


166  ACTS  XII.  [12:  8-10. 

up  quickly.     And  his  chains  fell  off  from  his  hands. 

8  And  the  angel  said  unto  him,  Gird  thyself,  and  bind 
on  thy  sandals.  And  he  did  so.  And  he  saith  unto 
him,  Cast  thy  garment  about  thee,  and  follow  me. 

9  And  he  went  out,  and  followed ;  and  he  wist  not  that 
it  was  true  which  was  done  ^by  the  angel,  but  thought 

10  he  saw  a  vision.     And  when  they  were  past  the  lirst 

1  Or,  thivnjh. 

with  that  describing  the  appearance  of  the  angel  to  the  shepherds  on 
the  night  of  the  Saviour's  birth  (Luke  2:  9). — -^'A  light  shined  in 
the  cell.  The  light  corresponds  witli  the  '  glory  of  the  Lord  '  which 
flashed  upon  the  shepherds  of  Bethlehem. — He  smote  Peter  on 
the  side.  In  order  to  rouse  him  from  slumber.  In  the  beautiful 
fancy  of  Keble,  the  wearied  apostle,  dreaming  of  the  glorious  witness 
to  his  Lord  he  was  to  witness  when  the  day  dawned,  would  naturally 
mistake  the  angel's  voice  for  the  summons  to  execution. 

♦  His  dream  is  changed— the  tyrant's  voice 
Calls  to  that  last  of  glorious  deeds ; 
But  as  he  rises  to  rejoice, 

Not  Herod,  but  an  angel  leads.' 

—Chi-istim  Year,  'St.  Peter's  Day.' 

Yer.  8.  Gird  thyself,  etc.  The  angel  gives  these  various  direc- 
tions— 1)  to  indicate  the  reality  of  the  appearance;  2)  to  show  there 
was  no  need  for  has^te.  The  prisoner  was  to  arise  at  once ;  he  would 
find  the  iron  fetters  which  bound  him  to  the  sleeping  soldiers  already 
snapped.  He  was  to  tighten  the  girdle  which  confined  his  tunic,  to 
strap  on  the  light  sandals  he  had  laid  aside  before  he  slept.  '  Tarry 
not  to  bind  on  your  sandals'  was  a  usual  saying  among  the  Greeks 
when  they  urged  one  to  hasten.  He  was  to  throw  round  him  his 
heavy  cloak  as  a  protection  against  the  sharp  air  of  the  early  spring 
morning. 

Yer.  9.  *"Wist  not  that  it  was  true.  Wist,  the  old  English 
equivalent  of  kneiv,  the  root  of  which  is  still  preserved  in  the  word 
wise.  The  liberation  took  place  so  noiselessly  and  rapidly,  and  the 
whole  occurrence  was  so  unexpected  and  miraculous,  that  at  the  time 
he  thought  it  was  a  dream  and  not  reality.  As  soon  as  they  were  out 
on  the  street  and  the  angel  had  departed,  Peter's  bewilderment  ceased. 
The  dazed  and  confused  state  of  his  mind  is  well  indicated  by  the  words 
in  ver.  11,  'when  Peter  was  come  to  himself.'  His  bewilderment  was 
a  normal  result  of  his  sudden  awakening  out  of  sleep,  the  flash  of  light 
and  the  abrupt  transition  from  the  prison  to  the  street. 

Yer.  10.  They  came  unto  the  iron  gate.  Silently,  without  a 
word,  the  radiant  messenger  from  heaven  and  the  amazed  apostle 
passed  out  from  the  cell  past  the  first  sleeping  guard,  then  past  the 


12:  11,  12.]  ACTS  XII.  167 

and  the  second  ward,  they  came  unto  the  iron  g:ate  that 
leadeth  mto  tlie  city;  which  opened  to  them  of  its  own 
accord :  and  they  went  out,  and  passed  on  through  one 
street ;  and  straightway  the  angel  departed  from  him. 

11  And  when  Peter  was  come  to  himself,  he  said,  Xow  I 
know  of  a  truth,  that  the  Lord  hath  sent  forth  his 
angel  and  delivered  me  out  of  the  hand  of  Herod,  and 
from  all  the  expectation   of  the  people  of  the  Jews. 

12  And  when  he  had  considered  the  thing,  he  came  to  the 
house  of  Mary  the  mother  of  John  whose  surname  was 
Mark ;  where  many  were  gathered  together  and  were 

second  at  the  prison  entrance,  then  into  the  street ;  and  there  tte  angel 
passed  back  into  the  unseen,  leaving  Peter  alone  but  free. 

Ver.  11.  "When  Peter  was  come  to  himself.  Up  to  this  time, 
all  had  seemed  to  Peter  as  a  dream  ;  but  now,  when  he  stood  alone  in 
the  midst  of  the  city,  and  he  called  to  mind  distinctly  the  varied  cir- 
cumstances of  his  deliverance,  he  at  once  with  deep  gratitude  recog- 
nized whence  his  deliverance  had  come.  *Luke  uses  a  similar  (though 
in  the  Greek  not  the  same)  expression  of  the  prodigal  son,  when  he 
returned  to  his  normal  condition  of  mind  (Luke  15:  17). — *Tbe  ex- 
pectation of  the  people  of  the  Jews.  They  were  looking  for- 
ward with  interest  and  expectancy  to  the  execution  of  a  second  leader 
of  the  Christians.  The  execution  of  James  had  given  great  satisfaction 
to  the  people  (ver.  3j. 

Ver.  12.  He  came  to  the  house  of  Mary.  It  was  natural  that 
Peter  should  betake  himself  to  Clary's  house,  for  it  is  evident  that 
between  this  fimily  and  himself  there  existed  some  close  tie  of  friend- 
ship. Mary  was  the  aunt  of  the  famous  Barnabas  of  Cyprus  (Col. 
4:  10).  The  family  was  evidently  one  of  some  consideration,  and 
possessed  some  means.  The  house  of  Mary  was  large  enough  to  form 
one  of  the  meeting-places  for  the  believers  of  Jerusalem. — John, 
whose  surname  was  Mark.  This  seems  to  be  the  same  person  as 
]SIai'k  the  Evangelist :  he  was  the  cousin  of  Barnabas  (Col.  4:  10),  and 
his  friend  and  companion  (Acts  12:  25;  15:  39).  Peter  calls  him  his 
spiritual  'son'  (1  Pet.  5:  13).  The  early  Church  believed  that  Mark's 
Gospel  was  in  reality  the  Gospel  of  Peter,  and  that  Mark  simply  put 
down  the  words  and  memories  of  his  teacher  and  friend  the  Apostle 
Peter. — "Where  many  were  gathered  together.  It  was  late  in 
the  night.  The  special  object  for  which  the  assembly  had  been  con- 
vened, was  to  pray  for  Peter.  These  nocturnal  assemblies  of  Christians 
for  prayer  were  continued  in  many  places  in  more  quiet  times,  partly 
owing  to  the  solemnity  which  belongs  to  the  hours  of  the  night,  partly 
owing  to  a  deep-rooted  persuasion  that  the  Lord  would  come  again 


168  ACTS  XII.  [12:  13-16. 

13  praying.     And  when  he  knocked  at  the  door  of  the 

14  gate,  a  maid  came  to  answer,named  Rhoda.  And  when 
she  knew  Peter^s  voice,  she  oj^ened  not  the  gate  for 
joy,  but  ran  in,  and  told  that  Peter  stood  before  the 

15  gate.  And  they  said  unto  her.  Thou  art  mad.  But 
she  confidently  affirmed  that  it  was  even  so.     And  they 

16  said,  It  is  his  angel.  But  Peter  continued  knocking : 
and  when  they  had  opened,  they  saw  him,  and  were 

during  the  night.  Wordsworth  beautifully  writes  on  this  verse: 
'Herod's  soldiers  were  watching  under  arms  at  the  door  of  the  prison; 
Christ's  soldiers  were  watching  unto  prayer  in  the  house  of  Mary. 
Christ's  soldiers  are  more  powerful  with  their  arms  than  Herod's 
soldiers  with  theirs :  they  unlock  the  prison  doors  and  bring  Peter  to 
the  house  of  Mary.' 

Vcr.  13.  At  the  door  of  the  gate.  The  door  was  most  probably 
that  small  outer  door  by  which  one  entered  through  the  large  gate  from 
the  street  into  the  court  where  the  house  was. — A  maid  .  .  .  named 
Rhoda — or,  as  we  should  render  the  Greek  name,  Rose.  The  names 
of  phints  and  flowers  were  favorite  names  for  the  daughters  of  Israel. 
So  Susannah  signifies  a  lily,  Esther  a  myrtle,  Tamar  a  palm. 

Ver.  14.  W^heu  she  knew  Peter's  voice,  etc.  So  eager  was 
Rhoda,  the  servant,  perhaps  the  slave,  of  Mary,  to  make  the  others 
partakers  of  the  great  joy  she  felt  at  Peter's  deliverance,  that  she  ran 
back  to  tell  the  tidings  and  forgot  to  open  the  door.  This  striking 
incident  shows  how  the  apostle  was  loved  by  all  orders  and  ranks. 
Chrysostora  draws  attention  to  the  fact  that  slaves  and  servants  in  the 
early  Church  shared  in  the  hopes  and  fears  of  those  socially  above 
them.  *  It  is  evident  from  this  lively  touch  of  the  narrator,  that  Peter 
had  been  a  frequent  guest  at  the  house  of  Mary,  and  it  is  probable  that 
the  maid  was  a  Christian. 

Ver.  15.  They  said,  It  is  his  angel.  Some  have  tried  to  ex- 
plain away  this  passage  by  suggesting  that  the  word  rendered  ongcl 
in  the  original  signified  'messenger'  simply  ;  but  this  is  most  improba- 
ble, for  how  could  they  have  expected  a  messenger  from  the  prison  at 
such  an  hour?  Besides,  Rhoda  knew  the  voice  of  Peter.  It  is  evident 
that  the  Christians  (or  at  least  some  of  them)  who  were  present  that 
night  in  Mary's  house,  believed  that  Peter's  guardian  angel  had 
assumed  his  voice  and  was  standing  before  the  door.  Very  little  is 
told  us  concerning  angels  and  their  work  and  office  among  us  in  Holy 
Scripture.  Our  Lord's  words  (Matt,  18:  10),  'I  say  unto  you,  that  in 
heaven  their  angels  do  always  behold  the  foce  of  my  Father  which  is 
in  heaven,'  seem  to  teach  that  each  has  his  guardian  angel  and  that 
very  slender  is  the  partition  which  separates  this  world  from  the  un- 
seen world. 


12:  17-19.]  ACTS  XXL  169 

17  amazed.  But  he,  beckoning  unto  them  with  the  hand 
to  hold  their  peace,  declared  unto  them  how  the  Lord 
had  brought  him  forth  out  of  the  prison.  And  he 
said,  Tell  these  things  unto  James,  and  to  the  brethren. 

18  And  he  departed,  and  went  to  another  place.  Now 
as  soon  as  it  was  day,  there  was  no  small  stir  among 

19  the  soldiers,  what  was  become  of  Peter.  And  when 
Herod  had  sought  for  him,  and  found  him  not,  he 
examined  the  guards,  and  commanded  that  they  should 
be  ^put  to  death.  And  he  went  down  from  Judaea  to 
Csesarea,  and  tarried  there. 

1  Gr.  led  aioay  to  death. 

Ver.  17.  "^Declared  unto  them.  Peter  went  into  the  house 
and  in  the  solemn  hush  of  the  assembly  gave  an  account  of  what  had 
happened.  The  meeting  was  what  we  would  now  call  a  prayer-meet- 
ing. This  scene  at  Marys  house  reveals  an  interesting  condition  of 
piety  and  worship  in  the  church  at  Jerusalem.  The  Christians  did 
not  confine  themselves  to  the  Temple. — Tell  these  things  unto 
James.  James,  the  brother  of  the  Lord,  held  a  peculiar  position 
of  authority  among  the  Jerusalem  Christians  (Acts  15 :  13).  For  a  full 
notice  of  him,  see  note  on  chap.  15:  12. — Went  to  another  place. 
It  is  probable  that  he  left  the  city  for  a  time,  as  after  his  miraculous 
deliverance  he  would  not  needlessly  expose  himself  to  fresh  danger. 
Very  many  Roman  Catholic  writers  believe  that  Peter  at  this  time  pro- 
ceeded to  Pvome,  and  there  laid  the  foundations  of  the  Church  in  that 
city.  The  total  absence,  however,  of  any  reference  to  Peter  and  his 
work  in  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  seems  fatal  to  the  theory. 

Yer.  18.  As  soon  as  it  "was  day.  Theangels  visit  and  Peter's 
•escape  must  have  taken  place  during  the  last  watch  of  the  night,  be- 
tween three  and  six  o'clock;  otherwise  the  absence  of  the  prisoner 
would  have  been  discovered  before  the  break  of  day,  when  the  guard 
of  four  soldiers  was  changed. 

Ver.  19.  *Put  to  death.  Such  a  severe  punishment  was  in 
accordance  with  the  ideas  of  the  age,  and  the  power  of  the  authorities 
over  their  subordinates.  The  deed  is,  however,  easily  explained  by 
the  fierce  anger  Herod  must  have  felt  when  he  found  himself  thwarted 
in  his  purpose  to  secure  popularity  among  the  Jews  by  Peter's  execu- 
tion. He  acted  just  as  his  grandfather  had  done  before  him,  who  shed 
the  blood  of  the  children  of  BethleViem. — He  went  down  from 
Judaea  to  Caesarea.  No  doubt  bitterly  disappointed  at  not  being 
able  to  comply  with  the  Jewish  desire.  Caesarea  was  the  second  city 
in  Herod's  kingdom.  Josephus  mentions  a  desire  to  be  present  at 
games  to  be  celebrated  in  honor  of  Claudius  Caesar  as  a  reason  for  this 
removal. 


170  ACTS  XII.  [12:  19. 

♦Practical  Notes.— The  Church  had  its  periods  of  quiet  and  of  persecution.  In 
both  cases  the  zeal  of  the  Apostles  in  the  Lord's  cause  was  unabated.  When  there  was 
no  open  opposition  or  hindrance,  they  labored  earnestly ;  and  when  persecutions  came, 
they  died  heroically.  Both  in  life  and  in  death  they  witnessed  for  the  Lord,  and  as  Jus- 
tin Martyr  (f  105)  said  a  hundred  years  later,  unbelievers  were  attracted  to  the  Church 
by  the  pure  and  zealous  lives  of  the  Christians,  and  by  their  manly  and  willing  deaths 
for  their  faith.— The  Civil  arm  as  well  as  the  Jewish  sectaries  opposed  the  progress  of 
the  Gospel.  Ilerod  Agrippa's  persecution  was  the  first  set  on  foot  by  the  government, 
but  it  was  the  prelude  of  the  general  persecutions  of  the  Roman  empenjrs  from  Nero 
(t  C8)  to  Diocletian  (f  305  )  Christianity,  however,  continued  to  diffuse  its  power  like 
leaven  and  to  extend  like  the  mustard  seed,  until  at  last  it  checked  imperial  persecu- 
tian  by  taking  possession  of  the  imperial  throne  of  Constantine.— A  life's  usefulness  is 
notmeasured  by  the  length  of  the  biography  (vcr.  2).  Unostentatious,  but  faithful.  Uvea 
arc  known  and  honored  of  God.  James  was  a  well  known  disciple  and  apostle,  but  the 
account  of  his  death  only  occupies  a  verse  of  two  lines.  Stephen's  martyrdom  was 
related  at  length  because  his  was  the  first,  and  conspicuous  on  account  of  his  trial  and 
the  other  attendant  circumstances.  James  was  no  doubt  executed  hastily  and,  perhaps, 
without  a  hearing. — It  matteis  little  hoic long  we  live,  but  much  how  we  live.  Whether 
we  go  at  an  early  or  an  advanced  age,  whether  as  martyrs  like  James  or  peacefully 
like  his  brother  John,  it  makes  little  difference,  so  wo  go  to  Christ — Peter  was  kept 
in  prison  but  prayer  was  made  i,  ver.  5).  A  deep  meaning  is  hidden  here  in  the  word 
hut.  The  power  of  fervent  and  importunate  prayer  is  greater  than  the  power  of  a 
king  and  his  soldiers.  It  moves  the  hand  that  moves  the  world.  God  is  stronger  than 
man.  The  weapons  of  the  spiritual  man  are  not  carnal,  but  they  are  mighty.  Y\'nuld 
that  the  Church  had  in  all  ages  followed  the  example  of  the  company  of  believers  in 
this  time  of  persecution,  and  not  have  gone  out,  a.n  John  X.  and  other  popes  have  done, 
with  sword  and  armies.— God's  deliverances  often  do  not  seem  real  until  long  aflcr 
they  have  occurred  (ver.  11).  lie  thwaits  the  plans  of  the  wicked  and  provides  unex- 
pected escapes  for  them  that  trust  Ilim.  — Xo  wall  is  too  thick  for  God's  messengers  of 
light  or  His  arrows  of  conviction,  and  no  bolts  are  too  firm  for  Ilis  unlocking  key.  He 
who  follows  God's  light  shall  pass  through  all  difficulties. — On  special  occasions  special 
services  and  prayer  are  proper.  The  earlj'  Christians  met  in  private  houses  and  en- 
gaged in  common  petitions,  relying  upon  Christ's  promise  that  he  fulfils  the  requests  oim 
those  who  agree  in  making  them.  The  Xew  Testament  does  not  limit  the  Church  to 
a  fixed  and  unalterable  form  of  service,  but  leaves  men  to  the  spontaneous  suggestions 
of  their  own  spiritual  instincts  and  wants. — Those  who  open  the  door  in  Chrisi's  name 
have  their  reward  as  well  ag  they  who  see  visions  and  preach  sermons  (ver.  13).  The 
name  of  Ehoda  is  preserved  as  well  as  that  of  Peter.  She  reminds  us  of  the  lad  who 
had  the  five  loaves  and  two  fishes  (John  6:  9\  The  l.ite  hour  of  the  night  indicates 
that  she  too,  was  engaged  in  prayer  with  the  rest.  She  did  noi  do  much,  but  perhaps 
ghe  did  all  she  could.  I  would  rather  be  a  doorkeeper  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  said 
the  Psalmist,  than  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  wicked.  And  Milton,  referring,  perhaps,  to 
his  blindness  said,  '  They  also  serve,  who  stand  and  wait.' 


12:20,21.]  ACTS  XII.  171 

Chapter  12:  20-25. 

Death  of  Herod  Agrippa. 

20  Now  he  was  highly  displeased  with  them  of  Tyre 
and  Sidon :  and  they  came  with  one  accord  to  him, 
and,  having  made  Blastus  the  king's  chamberlain  their 
friend,  they  asked  for  peace,  because  their  country  was 

21  fed  from  the  king's  country.  And  upon  a  set  day 
Herod  arrayed  himself  in  royal  apparel,  and  sat  on  the 

Death  of  Herod  Agrippa,  vers.  20-25. 

Vcr.  20.  He  -was  highly  displeased,  etc.  The  angry  feeling 
which  had  sprung  up  between  Ilcrud  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  Pliocni- 
ci:in  cities,  was  no  doubt  owing  to  the  commercial  rivalry  which  existed 
between  these  ports  and  the  newly  built  Roman  harbor  of  Cajsarea. 
They  were  not  under  Herod's  jurisdiction. — Blastus  the  king's 
chamberlain.  Not  a  Hebrew,  but  a  man  evidently  from  liis  name  of 
Roman  extraction.  It  must  be  rcmembcrcl  that  llerod  had  resided 
much  in  Roiue;  hence  the  probability  of  his  having  Romans  about  him 
in  the  principal  positions  of  his  court. — Thoy  asked  for  peace,  etc. 
The  narrow  strip  of  Phoenician  territoi-y  was  of  course  utterly  inade- 
quate to  furnish  corn,  oil,  and  other  necessaries  for  the  maritime  cities 
of  Tyre  and  Sidon.  From  very  early  times  the  neighboring  fertile 
regions  had  furnished  supplies  for  the  markets  of  Tyre  (1  Kings  5:  11). 
Ezelciel  (chap.  27:  17)  tells  how  '  Israel  and  .Judah  were  the  merchants 
of  Tyre,  and  traded  with  her  in  wheat  and  honey,  oil  and  balm.' 
Herod  was  not  at  war  with  these  cities,  but  no  doubt  harl  forbidden  all 
traffic  between  Israel  and  them.  Very  likely  the  first  scarcity,  the 
beginning  of  that  great  famine  predicted  in  Acts  11 :  28,  was  already 
felt  to  some  extent  in  Phoenicia  and  Palestine. 

Ver.  21.  Upon  a  set  day  Herod  arrayed  himself  in  royal 
apparel,  etc.  Some  fifty  years  before,  Herod  the  Great,  grandfither 
of  the  present  king,  had  established  a  festival  in  honor  of  the  Roman 
Goes  ir,  to  be  observed  every  five  years.  According  to  Josephus  this 
festival  was  kept  in  the  month  of  August  in  the  year  44.  The  king  had 
appointed  the  second  day  of  the  festival  to  receive  the  Tyrian  ambassa- 
dors, and  to  convey  to  them  his  gracious  assurance  of  favor.  He 
entered  the  vast  theatre  of  Cresarea,  clothed  in  a  magnificent  dress  of 
silver  tissue;  whose  sheen  under  the  sun's  rays  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the 
beholders.  Herod  then  from  his  throne  spoke  to  the  assembled 
multitude,  the  majority  of  whom  were  idolaters, — Cassarea  being  almost 
exclusively  a  Gentile  city.  Courtly  voices  cried  aloud  that  the  monarch 
was  no  man,  but  a  god;  and  the  crowd,  dazzled  with  the  brilliancy  of 
his  appearance,  took  up  the  shout,  saying,  'The  voice  of  a  god,  and  not 
of  a  man.'  The  king  was  well  pleased  with  the  impious  homage,  but 
while  listening  approvingly  to  this  blasphemous  flattery,  he  suddenly 


172  ACTS  XII.  [12;  22-25. 

22  4hrone,  and  made  an  oration  unto  them.  And  the 
peoj^le  shouted,  saying,  The  voice  of  a  god,  and  not  of 

23  a  man.  And  immediately  an  angel  of  the  Lord  smote 
him,  because  he  gave  not  God  the  glory  :  and  he  was 
eaten  of  worms,  and  gave  up  the  ghost. 

24  But  the  word  of  God  grew  and  multiplied. 

25  And  Barnabas  and  Saul  returned  ^from  Jerusalem, 
when  they  had  fulfilled  their  ministration,  taking  with 
them  John  whose  surname  was  Mark. 

1  Or,  judgement  seat.  2  Many  ancient  authorities  read  to  Jerusalem. 

looked  up  and  saw  an  owl  sitting  on  a  rope  above  his  head,  and  imme- 
diately understood  that  the  bird  was  the  messenger  to  him  of  evil.  He 
fell  into  a  deep  melancholy,  and  was  seized  with  agonizing  pains  in  his 
bowels :  he  then  said  to  the  audience,  '  I,  whom  you  called  a  god,  am 
commanded  now  to  depart  this  life  ;'  and  the  pains  becoming  more  vio- 
lent, he  was  carried  into  his  palace,  where  he  lingered  in  extreme  suf- 
fering for  five  days  and  expired.  Holy  writ  confirms  what  Josephus 
relates  in  detail,  and  attributes  the  sudden  catastrophe  to  the  retribu- 
tive justice  of  God.  *A  very  striking  contrast  is  presented  between 
this  willingness  of  an  ambitious  and  Avorldly-minded  monarch  to  re- 
ceive an  apotheosis,  and  the  refusal  of  Peter  to  receive  the  liomage  of 
Cornelius  (10:  26),  with  the  words  'I  am  also  a  man'  (Plumptre). 
The  two  scenes  in  Ctesarea  well  illustrate  the  temper  of  heathenism 
and  the  temper  of  Christianity,  which  accords  to  all  men  an  equal 
dignity  who  believe  in  Christ. 

Yer.  23.  He  "was  eaten  of  -worms.  Josephus  speaks  of  violent 
and  torturing  pains.  His  grandfather  had  also  died  of  a  loathsome 
disease.  Other  instances  of  this  fearful  malady  have  been  the  cases  of 
Antiochus  Epiphanes,  who  bitterly  persecuted  the  Jews;  Pheretima, 
Queen  of  Cyrene,  celebrated  for  her  cruelty;  the  Emperor  Galerius, 
the  last  persecutor  of  the  Church  (Eusebius).  To  this  list  Niebuhr 
adds  the  name  of  Philip  II.,  King  of  Spain. 

Ver.  24.  The  word  of  God  grew^  and  multiplied.  In  strong 
contrast  to  the  mournful  end  of  the  powerful  enemy  of  the  Christians. 
These  few  rejoicing  words  sound  like  the  Christians'  victory  hymn. 
Again  the  sufferings  of  the  faithful  had  done  their  work,  and  fresh 
believers  were  added  in  numbers  to  a  Church  which  covild  teach  men 
and  women  to  rejoice  in  the  midst  of  sufferings. 

Ver.  25.  Barnabas  and  Saul  returned  from  Jerusalem. 
The  thread  of  the  history  is  here  taken  up  again  from  chap.  11:  30. 
B.irnabas  and  Saul,  after  the  prediction  of  Agabus,  had  been  sent  from 
Antloch  with  alms  for  the  poor  Christians  at  .Jerusalem.  It  seems 
most  probable  that  they  had  sojourned  during  the  Passover  there,  and 
had  been  eye-witnesses  of  the  events  related  in  this  chapter.     They 


13:  1.]  ACTS  XIII.  173 

ChxYPTER  13:  1-3. 

Paul  and  Barnabas  set  apart  for  a  special  icoi^h. 

13:  1     Now  there  were  at  Antioch,  in  the  church  that 

was  there^  prophets  and  teachers,  Barnabas,  and  Symcon 

that  was  called   Niger,  and   Lucius  of  Cyrene,  and 

Manaen  the  foster-brother  of  Herod  the  tetrarch,  and 

now  returned  to  Antioch.  Chrysostom  remarks  that  the  -writer  still 
mentions  Barnabas  first,  for  I'uul  was  not  yet  famous.  This  verso 
properly  belongs  to  the  next  chapter. 

♦Practical  Notes.— Herod  and  Peter  present  a  striking  contrast.  The  king  adorned 
himself  with  the  trappings  of  worldly  fasliiou  and  a  rich  altire.  IIo  was  willing  to 
receive  divin"  lionors  and  to  be  called  a  god.  The  apostle,  in  the  presence  of  Corne- 
lius, lifted  him  up  when  he  fell  down  at  his  feet  to  worship,  with  tho  words:  'Stand 
up,  I  myself  ;ilso  am  a  man '  (Acts  lu :  20).  Tho  temper  of  Christianity  is  tho  temper 
of  equality  and  universal  love  among  men.  Tho  Poman  world  placed  the  statues  of 
their  cmiKjrors  among  tho  gods,  and  worshipped  them.  Tho  Go.-pel  makes  emperor 
and  Cottager  equals  in  the  sight  of  God  and  heirs  of  a  conimou  salvation. — Tho 
estimate  which  the  world  has  placed  upon  king  and  apostle  is  an  evidence  of  the  power 
of  Christianity  in  moulding  human  thought.  The  king,  who  at  Ca-sarca  glittered  in 
his  royal  apparel,  did  nothing  to  permauL-ntly  benofit  tho  race,  and  is  furgottcu  o.xccpt 
in  the  annals  of  the  historian.  The  apostle  labored  to  turn  men's  thoughts  to  higher 
aspirations,  and  died  a  martyr;  but  the  world  still  honors  his  memory,  and  tens  of 
thousands  seek  to  follow  his  example.  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  great  king  of  Babylon, 
to-day  exerts  no  influence;  but  the  woman  who  poured  tho  nard  on  our  Lord's  head 
does.  It  is  the  characteristic  of  the  Gospel,  that  it  has  made  tho  names  of  the  fisher- 
men of  Galileo  fam<iU3  and  beloved  over  tho  world. — God's  judgments  are  no  less 
severe  than  his  deliverances  are  sweet.  They  punish  the  proud  and  rescue  an  impris- 
oned disciple.  The  Gospel  knows  of  a  gulf  impassable  between  the  servant  of  God 
and  tho  servant  of  the  devil.  It  delivers  most  wonderfully,  but  it  condemns  most  ter- 
ribly.—Apostles  died,  but  God's  work  went  on  (vcr.  24).  Martyrdoms  did  not  stun 
the  Church  into  apathy  nor  terrify  it  into  apostacy. 

Paul  and  Barnabas  set  apart  for  a  special  icorTc,  vers.  1-3. 
Yer.  1.  There  were  at  Antioch,  etc.  Tlio  church  of  Antioch 
was  .about  to  inaugurate  a  gnincl  work.  It  was  chosen  to  be  the  starting 
]K)int  for  Christian  missions  to  the  Gentiles. — Prophets  and 
teachers.  Tlic  Church  of  the  first  days  during  tlie  lifetime  of  tho 
Apostles  possessed  certain  supernatural  gifts,  to  which  there  arc  many 
references  in  the  Acts  and  Epistles.  In  1  Cor.  xii,  8-11,  Paul  speaks 
of  them  at  length.  The  exercise  of  these  powers  by  a  few  gifted  per- 
sons is  mentioned  in  the  writings  of  the  Apostles  as  a  matter  of  ordinary 
occurrence.  But  when  the  Apostles  and  the  first  generation  of  believers 
had  passed  away,  and  the  foundations  of  the  Church  had  been  surely 
laid,  these  powers  ceased.     The  prophets  and  teachers  here  spoken  of 


174  ACTS  XIII  [13:  2. 

2  Saul.     And  as  they  ministered  to  the  Lord,  and  fasted, 
the  Holy  Ghost  said,  Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul 

were  a  class  of  men  who  enjoyed  a  distinction  second  only  to  the 
Apostles,  and  are  mentioned  twice  in  connection  with  them  (1  Cor. 
V2  :  28  ;  Eph.  4  :  11).  The  prophets  seem  to  have  been  the  more  gifted 
order,  and  were  all  teachers  ;  but  the  teacher  was  not  necessarily  a 
prophet. — Barnabas.  He  is  mentioned  first  as  being  the  most 
prominent  person  among  the  Aiitioch  Christians.  One  of  the  first 
members  of  the  Church  at  Jerusalem,  he  was  distinguished  in  the 
earliest  days  of  the  faith  by  his  generous  gift  to  the  brethren  (Acts  iv. 
36,  37).  lie  was  subsequently  held  in  high  esteem,  as  his  mission  to 
Antioch  proves,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  atfairs  of  the  Ciiurch 
as  an  independent  worker  and  the  companion  of  Paul.  Christian  history 
has  perhaps  hardly  done  justice  to  his  memory,  and  has  allowed  his 
name  to  be  overshadowed  by  tli.it  of  the  greater-  Apostle,  Paul. — 
Symcon  ....  and  Lucius  of  Cyieue.  Nothing  further  is  known 
of  these  two  men,  except  that  Lucius  may  l)c  the  pei-son  mentioned  by 
Paul  as  his  kinsman  (Piom.  16  :  21), — Maiiaeu  the  foster-brother 
of  Herod.  This  was  Ilerod  Antipas,  wlio  had  beheaded  John  the 
Baptist,  and  was  at  this  time  an  exile  at  Lyons.  It  was  the  practice 
for  persons  of  high  rank  to  associate  other  children  with  their  own  in 
their  studies  and  pastimes.  This  iManaen  was  no  doubt  a  person  of 
considerable  position  and  rank  at  Antioch.  Ewald  remarks  that  men 
and  women  of  the  higher  orders  joined  the  ranks  of  Christians  in 
Palestine  in  very  early  days,  as  we  see  from  the  example  of  this  Manacn 
and  also  of  Joanna  (Luke  8  :  3), — SauL  Mentioned  last,  because  no 
doubt  up  to  this  time  he  occupied  a  place  of  less  consideration  in  the 
Church  than  the  other  prophets  and  teachers. 

Ver.  2.  As  they  ministered  to  the  Lord,  and  fasted. 
That  is,  while  the  religious  services  were  going  on.  The  word  trans- 
lated as  they  ministered  was  the  general  word  used  in  the  Old  Testament 
for  priestly  service.  Here  it  does  not  refer  to  Temple  service,  but  to 
the  exercises  of  prayer,  singing,  preaching,  and  the  Lord's  Supper. 
It  is  not  certain  if  this  was  the  ordinary  service  of  the  Antioch  church 
which  the  Chiistians  were  in  tlie  habit  of  attending,  or  a  special  gath- 
ering, called  together  for  special  supplication.  The  latter  is  probably 
the  case,  as  'they  fasted,'  no  doubt  in  preparation  for  the  hour  when 
they  looked  for  a  revelation,  *The  word  '  liturgy'  is  derived  from  the 
Greek  word  Iciturgeo,  translated  minister  here.  A  liturgy  is  therefore 
a  form  or  order  of  worship. — Separate  me  Barnabaa  and  Saul 
for  the  •work,  etc.  Chrysostom  writes  on  these  words :  '  Here  we 
may  see  a  proof  of  the  divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  prophets  were 
ministering  to  the  Lord.  He  does  not  say.  Separate  Barnabas  and 
Saul  to  the  Lord,  but  to  me  for  the  ministry  to  which  /  have  called 
them,  showing  that  he  is  co-equal  with  God.' 


13:  3,  4.J  ACTS  XIII.  175 

3  for  the  work  whereunto  I  have  called  them.  Then, 
when  they  had  fasted  and  prayed  and  laid  their  hands 
on  them,  they  sent  them  away. 

Chapter  13:  4-12. 
PauVs  First  Missionary  Journey.     He  Visits  Cyprus. 

4  So  they,  being  sent  forth  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  went 

Ver.  3.  ^Laid  their  hands  on  them.  By  tins  act  the  church 
set  Barnabas  and  Paul  apart  for  their  mission.  Previous  to  this  pub- 
lic ceremony  they  were  placed  among  the  prophets  and  teachers,  but 
after  it  they  -were  known  as  Apostles  (Acts  14:  4;  14).  If  Paul  was 
ever  ordained  to  the  apostleship  by  human  hands  it  was  on  this  occa- 
sion. But  he  distinctly  aud  emphatically  denied  that  his  apostolic 
authority  was  derived  from  men.  Although  he  looked  upon  himself  as 
an  apostle  (1  Cor.  15 :  9),  and  thought  that  he  'was  not  a  whit  behind 
the  very  chiefest  Apostles,'  yet  he  did  not  get  his  credentials  from 
the  Apostles  at  .Jerusalem,  but  directly  from  Christ  (2  Cor.  12:  5;  Gal. 
1:  17).  It  is  an  interesting  question  whether  Paul  was  the  twelfth 
apostle,  in  which  ca^e  he  supplanted  jNIatthias,  or  whether  he  was  the 
thirteenth.  The  former  view  is  improbable,  for  although  it  is  not  said 
that  the  Hoi}' Ghost  chose  Matthias,  it  is  asserted  that  he  'was  num- 
bered with  the  eleven  Apostles '  (Acts  1 :  20).  Paul  stands  alone  as  the 
Apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  and  as  such  represents  a  new  idea. 

*  Practical  Notes. — Antioch  was  the  mother  of  Forei<rn  Blissions.  From  Jerusa- 
lem the  Gospel  had  spread  even  as  far  as  Dfimascus  and  Cyprus  (Acts  11 :  19).  But 
this  extensive  diffusion  was  ihe  result  of  the  persecution  which  followed  upon 
Stephen's  martyrdom.  Antioch  was  the  base  of  the  first  concerted  missionary  move- 
ment, and  the  Antiochian  church  was  the  first  to  commission  missionariosto  lands  across 
the  sea.— Every  church  ought  to  be  the  centre  of  missionary  activity.  A  living  body 
of  believers  seeks  to  communicate  its  life,  and  to  carry  to  others  the  hopes  of  the  Gospel. 
No  congregation  can  survive  disobedience  to  the  Master's  command  to  go  work  in  his 
vineyard. — A  special  call  is  requisite  for  the  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  The  Holy  Spirit 
chooses  fit  agents  for  hi,?  work.  They  may  not  receive  the  summons  in  precisely  the 
same  way  as  did  Barnabas  and  Paul,  but  they  must  have  the  sincere  longing  to  lead 
men  to  Christ,  be  assured  that  they  possess  natural  gifts  for  preaching,  and  be  willing 
to  go  wherever  there  is  work  to  be  done.  These  elements  of  adaptation  can  all  be 
discovered,  as  of  old  in  Antioch,  by  waiting  upon  the  Lord. — The  commission  of  the 
Cliurch  is  also  of  value.  It  gives  human  warrant  to  that  which  the  Holy  Spirit  first 
ordains.  The  Church  is  his  agent.  It  ordains  and  sends  forth  laborers.  Its  prayers 
support  them.  As  the  body  of  Christ,  its  counsel  and  commission  are  to  be  held  in 
high  esteem. — Each  man  has  his  own  work.  At  Antioch  some  remained  behind  to 
teach.  Barnabas  and  Paul  went  across  the  sea.  But  all  Christians  are  called  to  some 
Bpecial  work. 

PauVs  First  Missionary  Journey.      He   Visits  Cyprus,  vers.  4-12. 
Ver.  4.     *  Went  down.     The  starting  point  was  Antioch,  and  the 


176  ACTS  XIII.  [13:  4. 


down  to  Seleucia;    and  from  thence  they  sailed  to 

direction  was  towards  the  coast  of  tlie  Mediterranean  Sea  to  Seleucia. 
This  journey  was  the  beginning  of  one  of  the  most  important  move- 
ments the  world  has  ever  known.     Before  this  individual  Christians 
liad  carried  the  Gospel  beyond  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor.     This  was  the 
second  commission  sent  out  by  the  Church  (see  8  :   14).     The  journey 
meant  not  merely  the  proclamation  of  Christ  beyond  Jerusalem  and 
Coesarea  and  Antioch.     It  meant  also  the  offer  of  the  Gospel  to  the  hea- 
then world.     It  has  been  well  called  the  great  Christian  Odyssey.     It 
•was  the  first  of  the  three  great  missionarj' journeys  of  Taul.    In  tliis  one, 
stai'ting  from  Antioch  (45  A.  D.),  he  visited  Cyprus  ami  a  few  cities  in  Asia 
Minor,  going  as  far  as  Derbe  and  returned  to  Antioch.     In  the  second 
(51  A.  D.)  he  started  from  Jerusalem,  passed  northwards  through  An- 
tioch, then  westwards  through  Asia  Minor  to  Troas,  from  there  acixiss 
to   Europe,  and  after  visiting    I'hilippi,  Athens,  Corinth,  and  other 
cities  of  Greece,  returned  by  way  of  Ephesus  and  the  sea  to  Jerusalem. 
The  third  journey  began  (53  a.  d.)  like  the  first  at  Antioch,  was  p:ore 
extensive  than  either  of  the  other  two,  included  many  cities  in  Asia 
and  Greece,  and  was  concluded  by  the  apostle's  return  to  Jerusalem. 
I'aul  subsequently  went  as  far  as  Kome,  but  as  a  prisoner  (Acts  27  :   1 
sqq.)     The  great  Apostle,  perhaps,  little  knew  when  he  set  out  with 
Barnabas   from  Antioch   what  vicissitudes    he   Avould    experience   in 
preaching  the  Gospel,  and  wliat  afllictions  and  dangers  by  sea  and  by 
land  he  would  encounter.     It  was  perhaps  well  that  he  did  not.     But 
the  Gentile  world  is  indebted  to  him  for  its  Christianity.     Kext  to  the 
labors  of  our  Lord,  no  movements  have  been  so  important  for  the  race 
as  that  of  Abraham  westwaids  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldces  carrying  the 
revelation  of  the  One  God  and  the  promise  of  Isi^ael,  and  that  of  Paul, 
also  westwards,  carrying   the  revelation  of  Christ. — To    Seleucia. 
This  was  the  port  of  Antioch,  fifteen  miles  from  the  city;   it  was  built 
and  strongly  fortified  by  Seleucus  Nicator  about  346  years  before  this 
time  (45  a.  d.).     It  was  from  tliis  port  of  the  luxurious  and  profligate 
Antioch  that  used  to  sail  year  by  year  to  Rome  and  Italy,  that  swarm 
of  abandoned  beings  Juvenal  the  Koman  satirist  tells  us  of,  when  he 
writes  of  the  corruption  of  Borne,  and  how  much  of  it  was  due  to 
Syria  and  its  fatal  influences  {Sat.  iii.  62).     The  vessel  now  about  to 
start   was  freighted   with   benevolence  and   Christian   hope. — They 
Bailed  to  Cyprus.     This  beautiful  island  was  only  a  few  hours' 
sail  from   Seleucia.  or  forty-eight  miles  away.     Cyprus  is  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  long,  and  in  one  part  of  the  island  fifty  miles 
in  breadth.     It  was  famous  for  its  corn  and  oil  and  fruits.     In  1878, 
by  the  Congress  of  Berlin  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  England.     At 
the  time  of  the  journey  of  Paul,  Jews  constituted  one-half  of  the  popu- 
lation ;  this  was  no  doubt  one  of  the  reasons  which  weighed  with  the 
apostles  when  they  chose  it  as  the  first  scene  of  their  labors.     Another 
was  the  fact  that  it  was  the  home  of  Barnabas  (Acts  4 :  37  ;  see  notes 
on  11:  19,  20). 


13:  5,6.]  ACTS  XIII.  177 

5  Cyprus.  And  when  they  were  at  Salamis,  they  pro- 
claimed the  word  of  God  in  the  synagogues  of  the 
Jews :    and   they  had  also  John  as  their  attendant. 

G  And  when  they  had  gone  through  the  whole  island 
unto  Paphos,  they  found  a  certain  ^sorcerer,  a  false 

1  Gr.  Ma'jus :  as  in  31att.  2 :  1,  7,  IG. 

Ver.  5.  Salamis.  The  chief  mercantile  city  of  the  island.  In 
the  reign  of  Trajan  (08-117)  it  -was  desolated  in  a  terrible  revolt  of  the 
Jews  ;  the  revolt  ended  in  the  expulsion  of  the  Jews  from  the  island. 
— *Iii  the  synagogues  of  the  Jews.  The  synagogue  was  the 
characteristic  institution  of  later  Judaism.  Our  Lord's  life  was  very 
closely  associated  with  them,  and  in  the  synagogue  at  Nazareth,  in 
which  during  his  ministry  he  read  from  Isaiah,  and  applied  its  passage 
to  himself  (Luke  4:  IG),  he  must  have  spent  many  hours  of  worship 
during  his  boyhood  and  early  manhood.  Later  he  performed  miracles 
of  healing  in  them  (Matt.  12:  9),  and  taught  in  them  (Matt.  13:  54). 
The  origin  of  the  synagogue  is  somewhat  obscure,  but  there  is  reason 
for  believing  that  it  does  not  date  beyond  the  time  of  Ezra.  Its  design 
was  to  supply  convenient  places  for  worship  and  the  study  of  the  Law, 
but  it  in  no  wise  supplanted  the  Temple.  Its  services  did  not  include 
sacrifices,  but  consisted  of  readings  from  the  Scripture,  exhortations 
upon  the  passages  read  and  prayers.  The  days  of  service  were  the 
Sabbath,  and  ^londay  and  Thursday,  the  two  market  days.  The  chief 
officer  was  the  leader  of  the  synagogue,  who  Avas  assisted  by  a  body 
of  presbyters  or  elders.  The  women  and  men  were  separated  from 
each  other  by  a  partition.  The  chief  scats  v.ei-e  objects  of  emulation 
for  the  Pharisees  (Matt.  23  :  G).  The  influence  of  the  synagogues 
can  hardly  be  exaggerated.  Josephus  boasts  tiiat  they  were  the  schools  of 
the  people,  in  which  all  classes  became  familiar  with  the  Law.  In  the 
apostolic  age  every  town  in  Palestine  had  its  synagogue,  and  accord- 
ing to  Josephus  there  were  480  in  Jerusalem  alone.  Wherever  Jews 
settled  they  built  synagogues,  and  the  Ajiostles  found  them  in  Damas- 
cus (9:  20),  Salamis  (ver.  5),  Antioch  in  I'isidia,  Corinth  (18:  4), 
and  many  other  cities.  The  advantage  to  early  Christianity  of  these 
places  of  Jewish  worship  cannot  be  overestimated,  and  their  difiusion 
is  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  preparations  of  Providence  for  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel.  Hero,  as  it  has  been  well  said,  the  Apostles 
found  both  a  '  pulpit  and  an  audience,'  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
appreciate  the  manner  in  which  the  Gospel  was  spread  without  bearing 
in  mind  that  synagogues  were  found  in  all  the  great  cities  on  the  Me- 
diterranean sea. — John  as  their  attendant.  Among  other  duties 
which  fell  to  the  lot  of  John  Mark,  the  nephew  of  Barnabas,  was  per- 
haps the  office  of  baptizing  the  converts,  a  rite  seldom  administered 
by  Paul  (1  Cor.  1  :   14). 

Ver.  6.  Paphos.  Salamis  was  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Cyprus, 
12 


178  ACTS  XIIL  [13:  7. 

7  prophet,  a  Jew,  avIiosc  name  was  Bar-Jesus ;  which 
was  with  the  proconsul,  Sergius  Paulus,  a  man  of 
understanding.     The  same  called  unto  him  Barnabas 

Paphos  at  the  western.  The  distance  between  them  was  one  hundred 
miles.  New  Paphos  was  then  the  capital  and  the  residence  of  the 
proconsul ;  it  was  only  a  few  miles  distant  from  Old.  Paphos,  where 
the  famous  Temple  of  Venus  stood. — A  certain  sorcerer,  a  false 
prophet,  a  Jew.  On  the  presence  of  this  Jew  with  the  Poman 
governor  of  Cyprus,  Howson  [St.  I'aul)  ywrites:  'All  the  Greek  and 
Latin  literature   of  the  empire,  from   Horace  to   Lucian,  abounds  in 

proofs  of  the  prevalent  credulity  of  this  sceptical  period The 

faith  of  educated  Romans  was  utterly  gone.  We  can  hardly  wonder 
when  the  East  was  thrown  open — the  land  of  mystery,  the  cradle  of 
the  earliest  religions — that  the  imagination  both  of  the  populace  and 
the  aristocracy  of  Pome  became  fanatically  excited,  and  that  they 
greedily  welcomed  the  most  absurd  and  degrading  superstitions.  Not 
only  was  the  metropolis  of  the  euipire  crowded  with  hungry  Greeks, 
but  Syrian  fortune-tellers  flocked  into  all  the  haunts  of  public  amuse- 
ment. Athens  and  Corinth  did  not  now  contribute  the  greatest  or  the 
worst  part  of  the  dregs  of  Pome,  but,  to  adopt  Juvenal's  words,  "The 
Syrian  Orontcs  itself  flowed  into  the  Tiber."  .  ,  .  The  Jewish  begg;ir- 
woman  was  the  gipsy  of  the  first  century,  shivering  and  crowding  in 
the  outskirts  of  the  city,  and  telling  fortunes,  as  Ezekiel  of  old  said, 
*'for  handfuls  of  barley  and  pieces  of  bread."  ....  Not  only  were 
the  women  of  Pome  drawn  aside  into  this  varied  fanaticism,  but  the 
.eminent  men  of  the  declining  republic  and  the  absolute  sovereigns  of 
the  early  empire  were  tainted  and  enslaved  by  the  same  superstitions.' 
Ver.  7.  The  proconsul,  Sergius  Paulus.  In  the  Roman  em- 
pire there  were  two  classes  of  provincial  governments.  The  one  class 
was  under  the  direction  of  the  senate,  the  other  under  the  control  of 
the  emperor.  Cyprus  belonged  to  the  former  class,  until  the  Emperor 
Augustus  (d.  14  A.D.)  made  it  over  to  the  senate,  in  exchange  for  Dal- 
matia.  A  governor  sent  out  l)y  the  emperor  was  called  proprietor  or 
legate,  and  one  sent  out  by  the  senate,  proconsul.  *Hcre  Luke  is 
strictly  accurate  in  the  use  of  terms.  It  was  once  thought  that  he  had 
made  a  mistake,  because  Strabo  describes  Cyprus  as  an  imperatorial  pro- 
vince administered  by  a  legate.  But  Dion  Cassius  expressly  snys  that  it 
was  changed  to  a  senatorial  province  administered  by  aproconsul,  Luke's 
accuracy  has  been  strikinsly  confirmed  by  an  inscription  found  by  Gen. 
di  Cesnola  inCyprus,  which  reads  Eni-  nATAGT-  [ANB]  XnATOT 
(  Under  Paulus  the  Proconsul.)—^-  A  man  of  understanding.  He  was 
a  man  of  an  inquiring  temper.  Dissatisfied  with  paganism,  he  cultivated 
the  acquaintance  of  Elymas,  no  douT)t  in  the  hope  of  gaining  a  '  deeper 
knowledge  of  futurity  and  the  mysteries  of  nature  which  the  mind  instinc- 
tively craves'  (Ilackett).  It  Avas  aproof  of  his  discernment  that  he  recog- 
nized the  superior  power  of  the  missionaries  and  accepted  their  message. 


13:  8,9.]  ACTS  XIII.  179 

8  and  Saul,  and  sought  to  hear  the  Avord  of  God.  But 
Ely  mas  the  sorcerer  (for  so  is  his  name  by  interpreta- 
tion) withstood  them,  seeking  to  turn  aside  the  pro- 

9  consul  from  the  faith.     But  Saul,  who  is  also  called 

Ver.  8.  Elymas  the  sorcerer  (for  so  is  his  name  by  inter- 
pretation). Elymas  is  an  Aramaic  -vs-ord  whicli  means  the  'wise,* 
or  '  magician.'  It  was  evidently  self-interest  which  induced  him  to 
depreciate  the  stranger  missionaries  in  the  eyes  of  the  proconsul.  They 
were  in  earnest ;  and  he  knew  that  if  his  patron  listened  to  them,  his 
chances  of  further  gain  in  Cyprus  were  gone.  *The  same  sentiments 
actuated  him  which  actuated  Simon  Magus  (8  :  18). 

\cv.  9.  Saul,  V7ho  is  also  called  Paul.  This  abrupt  statement 
is  the  only  notice  given  of  a  change  in  the  great  apostle's  name.  Before 
the  visit  to  the  coast  of  the  governor  of  Cyprus  he  was  called  Saul ; 
after  the  visit,  Paul.  By  this  name  he  speaks  of  himself  in  all  his 
epistles  ;  James  and  the  Jerusalem  Council  Avrite  of  him  in  their  letters 
to  the  Gentile  churches  (Acts  15  :  25),  and  Peter  years  after  speaks  of 
him  by  it  {'1  Pet.  3  :  15).  Whence  came  this  second  name  ?  Two  dis- 
tinct classes  of  explanation  have  been  suggested  :  ( 1 )  The  name  of  Paul 
was  first  given  at  Cyprus,  and  was  subsequently  employed  by  his 
friends  in  memory  of  the  work  done  in  Cypi'us  and  the  conversion  of 
Sergius  Paulus.  (2)  Saul  possessed  the  Poman  name  of  Paul  even 
before  he  was  a  Christian.  This  adoption  of  a  Gentile  name  in  addition 
to  the  original  HebrcAv  name  was  a  practice  well  known  among  the 
Jews.  Thus  we  find  Belteshazzar — Daniel ;  Esther — Hadass^ah  ;  Simon 
— Peter;  John— Mark;  etc.  Paul,  it  must  be  remembered,  was  a 
Grecian  Jew  and  also  a  Roman  citizen,  and  as  such  very  probably,  in- 
deed, possessed  two  names — the  one  Hebrew,  the  other  Latin,  1'his 
explanation  seems  the  more  probable.  *Saul  was  a  Hebrew  and  Paul 
a  Latin  word.  The  latter  means  Utth.  Other  explanations  of  the 
origin  of  the  name  are  that  it  had  reference  to  the  apostle's  s-tature  (2 
Cor.  10  :  10)  ;  or  was  given  by  the  Gentiles  who  Avere  not  accustomed 
to  the  word  Saul  and  was  the  nearest  approach  to  it  in  sound  ;  or  was 
assumed  by  the  apostle  himself  as  expressive  of  humility.  "Whatever 
may  be  the  true  explanation  of  the  term,  thei-e  is  no  doubt  that  the 
Latin  name  Paul  was  appropriate  to  one  who  was  a  Roman  citizen  and 
the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles.— Filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
fastened  his  eyes  on  him.  The  Jewish  teachers — the  true  and 
the  false — met  together  in  the  presence  of  the  Roman  governor.  The 
dispute  turned,  no  doubt,  on  the  meaning  of  the  words  of  the  Prophets 
respecting  the  coming  of  Messiah  and  his  kingdom.  The  clever  Magian 
evidently  gave  a  false  meaning  to  the  words  and  prophecies,  perhaps 
asserting  tliat  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  was  past  already,  as  did  the 
false  prophet  alluded  to  in  2  Tim.  2  :  18  (see  also  Col.  2  :  8)  :  for  Paul, 
in  ver.  10,  recognizes  in  his  burning  reproaches  Elymas'  power  and 
ability— '  0  full  of  all  guile  and  all  villany'— and  charges  him  with 


180  ACTS  XIII.  [13:  10-12. 

10  Paul,  filled  with  the  Holy  Gliost,  fastened  his  eyes  on 
him,  and  said,  O  full  of  all  guile  and  all  villany,  thou 
son  of  the  devil,  thou  enemy  of  all  righteousness,  wilt 
thou  not  cease  to  pervert  the  right  ways  of  the  Lord  ? 

11  And  now,  behold,  the  hand  of  the  Lord  is  upon  thee, 
and  thou  shalt  be  blind,  not  seeing  the  sun  ^for  a  season. 
And  immediately  there  fell  on  him  a  mist  and  a  dark- 
ness ;  and  he  went  about  seeking  some  to  lead  him  by 

12  the  hand.  Then  the  proconsul,  when  he  saw  Avhat  was 
done,  believed,  being  astonished  at  the  teaching  of  the 
Lord. 

1  Or,  untU. 

endeavoring,  by  his  false  teacliing,  to  prevent  Sergius  Paulus  fi-om 
acceptinp;  the  Gospel. 

Ycr.  10.  *Son  of  the  devil.  This  relation  was  based  more 
specially  in  this  case  upon  the  fact  that  the  cliarlatan  perverted  the 
truth.     The  devil  is  a  liar  (Jolm  8  :  44],  and  the  father  of  lies. 

Ver.  11.  *  The  hand  of  the  Lord,  (to.  For  the  opposite  influence 
of  the  hand  of  the  Lord  see  Acts  11 :  21.— Thou  shalt  be  blind. 
Mii'acles  of  punishment  are  very  rare  in  the  New  Testament.  Peter 
and  Paul  each  once  at  least  Avorked  a  miracle  of  righteous  wrath  in 
the  case  of  Ananias,  and  before  the  Ptoman  governor  of  Cyprus.  In 
both  these  instances  it  was  not  simple  unbelief  which  was  punished, 
but  in  the  one  case  religious  hypoci-isy,  and  in  the  other  perversion  of 
the  truth  and  an  evil  life.  *The  form  of  the  punishment  in  this  case 
was  appropriate  to  the  socerer's  practice  of  magical  arts,  and  the  con- 
cealment of  the  right  ways  of  the  Lord.  It  was  fitting  that  as  he  had 
deceived  and  blinded  others,  he  liimself  should  be  made  blind  and 
dependent  upon  a  leader.  The  punishment  of  Elymas  was  not  so  severe 
as  that  of  Ananias,  for  the  occasion  was  not  so  important.  In  the  case 
of  Ananias  a  warning  wa-^  to  be  given  to  the  whole  Church  in  all  ages, 
that  tlie  Holy  Spirit  can  not  be  deceived. 

Vcr.  12.  Believed.  That  Sergius  Paulus  was  baptized  is  the 
natural  inference.  '  Believed '  was  an  ordinary  expression  among  the 
early  Christians  for  turning  to  the  Lord  and  joining  the  Church  (Acts 
4  :  4  ;  11  :  21).  The  proconsul  of  Cyprus  is  another  instance  of  men 
of  high  rank  joining  the  Church. 

*  Practical  Notfs. — The  dispersion  of  the  .lev.-s  was  providentially  used  to  aid  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel.  They  were  scattered  in  all  the  seats  of  coniraerco  ali  ng  the 
IMediterranean,  and  built  synagogues  wherever  they  went.  The  early  Christian  mis- 
sionaries found  in  them  pulpits  ready  for  their  use.  It  was  fitting  that  these  places  of 
worship,  which  had  listened  for  so  long  and  so  reverently  to  the  promises  of  the 
Prophets  and  the  precepts  of  the  Law,  should  hear  first  distinctly  of  him  who  fulfilled 


13:  13.]  ACTS  XIIL  181 

Chapter  13:  13-15. 

Paul  visits  Antioch  in  Pisidia. 

13      Now  Paul  aud  his  company  set  sail  from  Paphos, 
and  came  to  Perga  in  Pamphylia  :  and  John  departed 

both  the  Law  and  the  Prophets.— The  world  will  not  do  without  religion.  In  Cyprus 
as  well  as  at  Jerusalem,  iu  the  Fiji  Islands  as  well  as  at  Home,  men  worship.  If  it 
does  not  accept  the  pure  religion,  it  will  believe  a  false  and  degrading  one.  Men  long 
for  the  knowledge  of  God.  IS  they  do  not  have  revelation,  they  will  practice  the  arts 
of  magic  and  sorcery,  or  else  follow  astrology  and  search  among  the  starry  heavens, 
for  some  indications  of  the  ways  of  the  Cieator.  Great  men  and  '  men  of  understand- 
ing'at  Kome,  like  Sergius  Paulus,  associated  with  themselves  such  magicians. — The 
longing  after  the  true  God  and  the  Truth  was  intense  in  many  minds,  both  of  the 
Jewish  and  pagan  world.  If  Simeon  and  others  'waited  for  the  kingdom  of  God' 
(Mark  15:  4^3,  Luke  2  :  25),  then  Eomun-,  like  Cornelius  aud  Sergius  Paulus,  were 
anxious  to  hear  the  word  of  God  (ver.  7)  and  gladly  accepted  it. — Elymas  is  a  type  of 
the  wisdom  of  this  world.  It  deceived  and  led  a.stray  minds  seeking  after  the  truth 
or  eager  to  look  into  the  future,  but  itself  was  bUnd  and  morally  corrupt.  Tlie  Gospel 
brings  light  into  the  world  aud  reveals  those  things  which  the  wisdom  of  the  world 
cannot  discover  (1  Cor.  1 :  21). — The  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  those 
who  believe,  but  it  is  a  condemning  and  destructive  judgment  to  those  who  work  the 
works  of  darkness. 

Paul  visits  Antioch  in  Pisidia,  vers.  13-15. 

Ver.  13.  Paul  and  his  company.  Paul  now  was  evidently  the 
leading  person  of  the  mission  since  the  punishment  of  Elymas  and  the 
conversion  of  Sergius  Paulus  ;  he  and  Barnabas  had  exchanged  places. 
The  ungrudging  spirit  of  Barnabas  seems  at  once  to  have  conceded  the 
first  place  to  his  more  gifted  fellow-worker. — Perga  in  Pamphylia. 
Perga  was  a  large  and  flourishing  city,  almost  as  famous  for  the  worship 
of  the  goddess  Diana  as  was  Ephesus.  On  their  return  the  apostles 
(Acts  14  :  25)  preached  the  word  there.  The  flourishing  inland  cities 
of  Asia  Minor,  such  as  Antioch  and  Iconium,  were  the  home  of  many 
Jews.  They  appear  to  have  drawn  into  their  synagogues  many  pro- 
selytes. Mixed  marriages  between  these  Jews  and  the  Gentiles  seem 
not  to  have  been  uncommon  (Acts  16  :  1-3).  Paul  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  circumstances  of  this  part  of  the  country.  His  home,  Tar- 
sus, was  a  community  like  Perga,  only  more  important  — John  de- 
parted from  them.  The  reasons  are  not  given.  Some  suggest  his 
dislike  to  Paul's  evident  intention  to  found  a  Gentile  Church  ;  his 
Jerusalem  training  and  associations  preventing  him  from  sympathizing 
with  such  a  policy.  But  the  more  probable  reason  was,  that  he  shrank 
from  the  dangers  and  hardships  of  the  mission  (15  :  39).  *It  may  also 
be  that  he  was  anxious  to  be  back  in  his  home  at  Jerusalem.  Paul  at  a 
later  period  mentions  him  with  respect  (Col.  4  :  10). 


182  ACTS  XIIT.  [13:  14-16. 

14  from  them  and  returned  to  Jerusalem.  But  they, 
passing  through  from  Perga,  came  to  Antioch  of 
Pisidia ;  and  they   went  into  the  synagogue  on   the 

15  sabbath  day,  and  sat  down.  And  after  the  reading  of 
the  law  and  the  prophets  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue 
sent  unto  them,  saying.  Brethren,  if  ye  have  any  word 
of  exhortation  for  the  people,    say  on. 

Chapter  13:  16-41. 
PauVs  Sermon  at  Antioch. 

16  And  Paul  stood  up,  and  beckoning  with  the  hand  said, 

Ver.  14.  Antioch  of  Fisidia.  A  city  of  considerable  import- 
ance, and  a  Roman  colony.  Vast  ruins  of  the  once  celebrated  Pisidian 
capital  were  identified  some  forty  years  ago  by  an  English  traveller. 
*The  road  from  Perga  to  Antioch  went  through  a  rugged  and  romantic 
mountain  region,  and  it  has  been  suggested  that  it  -was  here  that  Paul 
•was  subjected  to  the  perils  of  robbers  of  -which  he  speaks  in  2  Cor. 
11  :  26. 

PauV s  Sermon  at  Antioch,  vers.  16-41. 

Ver.  16.  Men  of  Israel,  and  ye  that  fear  God.  This  in- 
cludes the  Jews  and  those  Gentile  hearers  who  had  given  up  idol- 
worship,  and  worshipped  the  God  of  Israel,  without,  however  being 
circumcised.  They  are  usually  tei-med  proselytes  of  the  gate.  Tlie 
discourse  which  follows  falls  naturally  into  three  divisions :  (1)  An 
account  of  God's  gracious  dealings  with  Israel  (17-22).  (2.)  The 
crucifixion  and  resurrection  of  Jesus  were  in  accordance  with  the 
prophecies  of  the  promised  Messiah  (23-37).  (3)  Perfect  salvation  is 
offered  to  all  who  believe,  and  a  warning  uttered  against  those  who  re- 
ject Christ  (38-41).  We  possess  in  this  report  of  the  speech  either 
the  memoranda  of  one  of  the  audience  (perhaps  Luke),  or  else  a  copy 
of  the  very  notes  of  Paul  himself.  The  sermon,  in  its  historical  in- 
troduction, follows  that  school  of  early  Jewish  Christian  teaching  of 
which  Stephen's  apology  is  an  example.  Saul  must  have  heai'd 
Stephen's  address  before  the  Sanhedrin,  and  recognized  how  unanswer- 
able, from  a  Jewish  standpoint,  was  the  argument.  He  here  takes 
himself  the  old  story  of  Israel,  and  fixes  the  attention  of  his  Israelitic 
congregation  by  appealing  to  the  undying  spirit  of  Jewish  nationality. 
Then  Paul  makes  the  resurrection  the  great  proof  of  the  Messiah- 
ship  of  Jesus,  as  Peter  had  done  in  his  sermon  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
and  with  Peter  cites  the  same  verse  of  the  16th  Psalm  (Acts  2:  25). 
This  making  the  resurrection  the  central  point  of  early  Christian 
preaching  was  no  doubt  the  universal  practice  of  the  Jerusalem 
Apostles,  who  could  appeal  to  so  many  eye-witnesses  of  the  fact.     The 


13:  17-19.]  ACTS  XIIL  183 

Men   of  Israel,  and   ye  that   fear   God,   hearken. 

17  The  God  of  this  people  Israel  chose  our  fathers,  and 
exalted  the  people  when  they  sojourned  in  the  land  of 
Egypt,  and  with  a  high  arm  led  he  them  forth  out  of 

18  it.     And  for  about  the  time  of  forty  years  ^suffered 

19  he  their  manners  *  in  the  wilderness.     And  when  he 

^  Many  ancient  authorities  read  bare  he  them  as  a  nursing-father  in  the  wUdemess. 
See  Deut.  1 :  31. 

*  For  'suffered  he  their  manners'  read  'as  a  nursing-father  bare  he  them,'  and  in 
the  marg.  read  '  Many  ancient  authorities  read  suffered  he  their  manners.' — Am.  Com. 

third  division  of  the  discourse  may  be  said  to  be  exclusively  Pauline  in 
character.  Paul  is  the  first  to  speak  of  the  impossibility  of  being 
justified  by  the  law  of  Moses  (ver.  39).  Jesus  had  proclaimed  that  the 
reign  of  the  Law  was  over  for  ever,  but  still  this  open  declaration  that 
justification  could  alone  be  secured  by  faith  in  Jesus, — a  great  truth 
which  the  preacher  afterwards  fully  elaborated  in  the  Epistle  to  the 
Romans — marked  a  new  point  of  departure  in  Christian  theology. 

GocTs  Dealings  with  Israel  till  the  Days  of  David. 

Ver.  17.  The  God  of  this  people  Israel  chose  our  fathers. 
God  chose  Israel  out  of  the  various  peoples  of  the  world  for  His  own, 
to  keep  burning,  in  the  midst  of  the  populations  given  up  to  idolatry, 
the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  one  true,  pure  God.  The  special 
work  of  Israel  was  not  what  is  usually  termed  human  learning,  nor 
were  the  schools  of  Jerusalem  at  any  period  resorted  to  by  foreigners, 
and  yet  the  Hebrew  nation  ranks  with  the  Greeks  as  educators  of  the 
human  race. — Exalted  the  people.  Not  only  by  increasing  their 
numbers,  but  before  the  nations  by  the  mighty  works  wrought  by  Mose3 
previous  to  the  Exodus. — With  a  high  arm.  Compare  Ex.  6 :  6, 
'  with  stretched-out  arm.'  The  figure  was  probably  orginally  suggested 
to  Moses  and  the  children  of  Israel  by  the  familiar  hieroglyphic  which 
represents  Might  by  two  outstretched  arms. 

Ver.  18.  *  Suffered  he  their  manners.  By  the  change  of  a 
single  letter  in  the  Greek  word  the  meaning  becomes :  '  He  bare  them 
as  a  nursing  father.'  This  translation,  which  was  preferred  by  the 
Am.  Com.  on  Revision,  and  is  given  in  the  margin,  is  in  accordance 
with  Deut.  1:  31,  where  God  is  said  to  have  borne  Israel  'as  a  father 
doth  bear  his  son.'  The  reading  of  the  text  is  supported  by  a  prepon- 
derance of  manuscript  evidence,  and  is  adopted  by  Westcott  and  Hort. 
The  marginal  reading,  however,  has  much  in  its  favor,  and  is  adopted 
by  Lachmann,  Tischendorf,  Hackett,  Mejer,  Wendt,  etc.  Both  state- 
ments  are  true,  and  both  ideas  fit  in  with  the  temper  of  Paul's  speech ; 
but  tlie  marginal  reading  suits  better  the  apostle's  urging  God's  gra- 
cious dealings. 

Ver.  19.  Seven  nations  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  Compare 
Deut.  7:1.  They  were  the  principal  and  most  powerful  tribes  of  Canaan. 


184  ACTS  XIII.  [13:  20-23. 

had  destroyed  seven  nations  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  he 
gave  them  their  land  for  an  inheritance,  for  about  four 

20  hundred  and  -fifty  years:  and  after  these  things  he 

21  gave  ^/lem  judges  until  Samuel  the  prophet.  And  after- 
ward they  asked  for  a  king:  and  God  gave  unto  them 
Saul  the  son  of  Kish,  a  man  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin, 

22  for  the  space  of  forty  years.  And  when  he  had  re- 
moved him,  he  raised  up  David  to  be  their  king ;  to 
whom  also  he  bare  witness,  and  said,  I  have  found 
David  the  son  of  Jesse,  a  man  after  my  heart,  who 

23  shall  do  all  my  Mvill.  Of  this  man^s  seed  hath  God 
according  to  promise  brought  unto  Israel  a  Saviour, 

1  Gr.  wills. 

Ver.  20.  About  four  hundred  and  fifty  years.  This  period 
refers  not  to  the  Judges,  but  to  the  possession  of  the  land  running 
back  to  the  promise  of  Abraham,  between  which  and  the  death  of 
Joshua  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  years  elapsed. 

Ver.  21.  For  the  space  of  forty  years.  The  Old  Testament 
does  not  mention  the  length  of  Saul's  reign.  The  statement  here, 
however,  agrees  with  Josephus,  who  speaks  of  Saul  reigning  eighteen 
years  before  Samuel's  death,  and  twenty-two  after  it. 

Ver.  22.  When  he  had  removed  him.  That  is,  by  death  on 
Mt.  Gilboa.  It  was  not  until  then  that  David  became  king,  although 
he  had  been  anointed  during  the  life-time  of  Saul. — A  man  after 
my  heart.  This  expression  is  not  found  in  this  form  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, but  is  made  up  of  two  passages,  Ps.  89 :  20,  where  God  says : 
'  I  have  found  David  my  servant,'  and  1  Sam.  13 :  14,  where  Samuel, 
speaking  to  Saul,  says  :  '  The  Lord  hath  sought  Him  a  man  after  His 
own  heart.'  In  our  estimate  of  the  character  of  this  king  after  God's 
heart,  we  must  remember  his  nobility  of  purpose,  his  anxiety  for  the 
welfare  of  the  people,  his  devotion  to  God,  his  longing  after  a  purer 
life,  his  bitter  repentance  whenever  he  fell  (Ps.  51,  etc.).  Without 
attempting  to  exteniiate  the  dark  sins  which  marred  his  splendid  reign, 
we  must  remember  the  wild  state  of  society  in  the  midst  of  which  he 
lived.  One  characteristic  especially  distinguished  David's  rule:  he 
rigidly  guarded  the  people  from  idolatry  and  all  the  abominations 
■which  attended  idol-worship,  and  kept  them  faithful  to  the  adoration 
of  the  God  of  their  fathers. 

The  Promise  of  the  Messiah  and  its  Fulfilment. 
Ver.  23.     Of  this  man's  seed.     This  was  the  first  requisite,  for 
unless  Jesus  were  descended  from  David,  he  could  not  be  the  Messiah 
foretold  by  the  prophets.     *The  descent  of  the  Messiah  from  David 


13:  24-26.]  .  ACTS  XIII.  185 

24  Jesus;  when  John  had  first  2:)reached  ^before  his  coming 
the  baptism  of  repentance  to  all  the  people  of  Israel. 

25  A  nd  as  John  was  fulfilling  his  course,  he  said,  What 
suppose  ye  that  I  am?  I  am  not  he.  But  behold, 
there  cometh  one  after  me,  the  shoes  of  whose  feet  I 

26  am  not  worthy  to  unloose.  Brethren,  children  of  the 
stock  of  Abraham,  and  those  among  you  that  fear 
God,  to  us  is  the  word  of  this  salvation   sent  forth. 

1  Gr.  before  the  face  of  hie  entering  in. 

vras  emphasized  during  Christ's  life.  Isaiah  had  prophesied  of  him  as 
a  'rod  out  of  the  stem  of  Jesse'  (11:  1),  and  similarly  Jeremiah  (23: 
5).  Matthew,  in  the  very  first  verse  of  his  Gospel,  lays  stress  upon 
this  fact,  and  speaks  of  Jesus  as  the  'son  of  David,  the  son  of  Abra- 
ham.' Both  Matthew  (1:6)  and  Luke,  in  their  genealogical  tables, 
derive  his  descent  from  the  great  king.  It  is  referred  to  by  Zacharias 
(Luke  1 :  09),  and  frequently  was  Christ  addressed  by  those  who  came 
to  him  to  be  healed  as  '  the  Son  of  David '  (Matt.  9  :  27  ;  15  :  22,  etc.). 
The  most  striking  use  of  this  designation  was  on  the  day  of  his  trium- 
phal entrance  into  Jerusalem  (Matt.  21:  9).  Paul  lays  stress  upon 
the  l\xct  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans  (1 :  3). 

Ver.  24.  "When  John  had  first  preached  before  his  coming. 
Paul  mentions  this  preaching  and  testimony  of  the  Baptist  to  Jesus 
as  a  thing  well-known.  A  large  number  of  the  Jews  seem  to  have 
acknowledged  John's  authority  as  a  prophet.  His  mission  created  a 
great  stir  in  the  Holy  Land  ;  and  later  we  read  of  his  disciples  at 
Ephesus,  some  twenty-five  years  after  his  death  (Acts  19:  3). 

Ver.  25.  As  John  was  fulfilling  his  course.  This  was  an 
expression  peculiar  to  Paul,  2  Tim.  4:  7:  'I  have  fought  the  good 
fight,  I  have  finished  the  course  '  The  words  signify,  'When  the  work 
and  ministry  of  John  the  Baptist  were  near  their  close.'  It  was  just 
before  that  imprisonment  which  was  terminated  in  the  cruel  death 
inflicted  by  Herod,  that  John  said,  not  once,  but,  as  Alford  remarks, 
habitually:  What  suppose  ye  that  I  am?  .  .  .  There  cometh 
one  after  me.  The  very  words  and  thoughts  used  by  Luke  in  his 
Gospel  in  the  account  of  the  mission  of  the  Baptist  (Luke  3  :  16).  It 
was  looked  upon  as  the  office  of  the  lowest  slaves  to  unfasten  their 
mastei*'s  sandals. 

Ver.  26.  To  us  is  the  word  of  this  salvation  sent  forth. 
Before  speaking  at  length  of  the  Crucified  as  Messiah,  Paul  makes  a 
personal  application  which  shows  his  intense  feeling.  In  the  word 
'brethren,'  he  appeals  affection  a!  ely  to  them  as  belonging  to  one  race 
with  himself;  while,  in  the  expression,  'children  of  the  stock  of  Abra- 
ham,' he  again  reminds  them  of  the  glorious  hopes  of  Israel. 


186  ACTS  XIII.  .  [13:27-31. 

27  For  they  that  dwell  in  Jerusalem,  and  their  rulers, 
because  they  knew  him  not,  nor  the  voices  of  the  pro- 
phets which  are  read  every  sabbath,  fulfilled  them  by 

28  condemning  kim.  And  though  they  found  no  cause 
of  death  hi  /i/m,  yet  asked  they  of  Pilate  that  he  should 

29  be  slain.  And  when  they  had  fulfilled  all  things  that 
were  written  of  him,  they  took  him  down  from  the 

30  tree,  and  laid  him  in  a  tomb.     But  God  raised  him 

31  from  the  dead  :  and  he  was  seen  for  many  days  of  them 

Ver.  27.  *For  they  that  dwell  in  Jerusalem.  Meyer,  Alford, 
Plumptre,  and  others,  explain  the  meaning  of  the  for  in  this  way. 
*  To  you  the  Gospel  is  preached  because  the  Saviour  was  rejected  in 
Jerusalem.'  But  De  Wette  well  urged  that  the  Gospel  would  have 
been  sent  to  the  Jews  of  Antioch  even  if  Christ  had  been  accepted  at 
Jerusalem.  For  simply  introduces  a  passage  Avhich  confirms  what 
had  been  implied  in  the  expression:  'this  salvation'  (Hackett).  It 
was  well  known  that  Jesus  had  been  crucified.  Paul's  purpose  is  to 
show  that  crucifixion  and  resurrection  occurred  according  to  prophecy. 
— "Which  are  read  every  sabbath.  How  wildly  foolish  does 
the  conduct  of  the  Jewish  rulers  seem  to  those  who  calmly  review 
the  whole  story  of  the  chosen  people !  For  these  very  priests  and 
scribes,  who  gloried  in  their  reverential  care  for  the  Law  and  the 
Prophets,  to  fall  into  the  awful  sin  these  holy  writings  foreshadowed, 
seems  an  act  of  blind  folly  almost  inconceivable. 

*Ver.  28.  Though  they  found  no  cause  of  death  in  him. 
Pilate  uttered  exactly  the  same  words  (Luke  23:  22)  They  accused 
Jesus  of  blasphemy  and  sedition,  but  were  utterly  unable  to  prove 
either  charge,  and  had  to  suborn  false  witnesses  (Matt.  26:  60). 

Ver.  29.  All  things  that  were  written  of  him.  That  is,  the 
various  indignities  predicted  in  those  prophecies  which  speak  of  the 
betrayal  and  sufferings  of  Messiah  (Ps.  22;  Isa.  53;  Zech.  11:  12,  13; 
12:  10;  13:  7,  etc.). — And  laid  him  in  a  tomb.  The  burial  and 
probably  the  act  of  taking  the  body  from  the  cross,  was  actually  per- 
formed by  the  hands  of  friends,  Nicodemus  and  Joseph  of  Arimathea ; 
but  in  Paul's  rapid  summary  of  the  terrible  facts,  it  was  not  judged 
necessary  to  make  any  distinction  between  the  various  agents  in  the 
transaction;  besides  which,  to  the  letter  even  the  statement  is  strictly 
accurate.  Joseph  of  Arimathea  and  Nicodemus  were  both  of  them 
rulers. 

Ver.  30.  But  God  raised  him  from  the  dead.  Paul  with 
great  force  and  power  here  contrasts  the  work  of  God  with  the  work  of 
men.  Men  rejected  and  crucified  Jesus  ;  God  honored  him  and  raised 
him  from  the  dead. 

Ver.  31.     He  was  seen   for  many  days.     This  was  the  most 


18:  32-34.]  ACTS  XIII.  187 

that  came  up  with  him  from  Galilee  to  Jerusalem,  who 

32  are  now  his  witnesses  unto  the  people.  And  we  bring 
you  good  tidings  of  the  promise  made  unto  the  fathers, 

33  how  that  God  hath  fulfilled  the  same  unto  our  children, 
in  that  he  raised  up  Jesus;  as  also  it  is  written  in  the 
second  psalm,  Thou  art  my  Son,  this  day  have  I  begot- 

34  ten  thee.  And  as  concerning  that  he  raised  him  up 
from  the  dead,  now  no  more  to  I'eturn  to  corruption, 
he  hath  spoken  on  this  wise,  I  will  give  you  the  holy 

convincing  proof  of  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus.  With  these  first  teachers 
of  Christianity  the  resurrection  rested  on  no  tradition,  but  on  the 
testimony  of  many  living  men  who  had  seen,  touched,  and  talked  with 
Jesus  after  that  he  was  risen  from  the  dead.  *Upon  this  argument 
Paul  lays  stress  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans  (1 :  4),  when  he  says  that 
Jesus  was  'declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  witli  power  by  the  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead.' — From  Galilee  to  Jerusalem.  This  refers 
especially  to  those  Galilean  disciples  who  were  with  Jesus  on  his  last 
journey  to  Jerusalem.  There  were  over  five  hundred  of  these  eye- 
witnesses of  the  Lord's  resurrection  (1  Cor.  15:  6). 

*Ver.  32.  We  bring  you  good  tidings.  There  is  a  strong 
emphasis  on  the  ice,  and  a  contrast  between  Paul  and  Barnabas,  neither 
of  whom  had  seen  the  Lord  during  the  forty  days  after  his  resurrec- 
tion, and  those  who  had  seen  him.  The  Gospel  is  a  message  of  joy, 
telling  of  the  fulfillment  of  God's  promise  of  the  Messiah  and  all  that 
it  involved  in  the  future. 

Yer.  33.  In  the  second  psalm.  It  is  not  the  custom  of  the 
New  Testament  writers  to  quote  so  exactly  as  in  this  instance,  never 
giving  the  number  of  the  Psalm  whence  the  reference  was  drawn ;  the 
exception  in  this  case  was  probably  owing  to  the  high  importance 
attached  by  the  early  Christian  teachers  to  this  great  Messianic  pro- 
phecy appearing  as  it  does  on  the  first  page,  so  to  speak,  of  the  sacred 
psalter. — Thou  art  my  Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  thee. 
God  speaks  in  this  Psalm  to  the  Messiah.  He  had  been  the  Son  of  God 
from  all  eternity;  but  by  his  triumphant  resurrection  after  his  hvunilia- 
tion  he  was  openly  declared  or  shown  to  be  so. 

Yer.  34.  No  more  to  return  to  corruption.  That  is  to  say, 
Christ  will  never  again  endure  death — death  which  is  invariably  fol- 
lowed by  corruption.  His  sacred  body,  however,  underwent  no  change 
or  corruption  while  it  lay  in  the  grave  ;  so  that  here  '  to  return  to  cor- 
ruption' is  simply  'to  die.'  The  doctrine  of  the  eternity  of  Christ's 
existence  is  often  urged  by  Paul  (see  especially  Rom".  6:  9).  We  can 
trace  in  this  and  in  other  sermons  of  the  Gentile  Apostle,  outlines  of 
the  great  arguments  and  doctrines  which  he  afterwards  pressed  home 
with  so  much  power  in  his  epistles. — The  holy  and  sure  blessings 


188  ACTS  XIII.  [13:  35-39. 

35  and  sure  blessings  of  David.  Because  he  saith  also  in 
another  psalm,  Thou  wilt  not  give  thy  Holy  One  to 

36  see  corruption.  For  David,  after  he  had  4n  his  own 
generation  served  the  counsel  of  God,  fell  on  sleep,  and 

37  was  laid  unto  his  fathers,  and  saw  corruption :   but  he 

38  whom  God  raised  up  saw  no  corruption.  Be  it  known 
unto  you  therefore,  brethren,  that  through  this  man  is 

39  proclaimed  unto  you  remission  of  sins :  and  by  him 
every  one  that  believeth  is  justified  from  all  things, 
from  which  ye  could  not  be  justified  by  the  law  of 

1  Or,  served  his  own  generation  by  the  cotinsel  of  God,  fell  on  deep.    Or,  served  his  own 
generation,  fell  on  sleep  by  the  counsel  of  G<jd. 

of  David.  This  quotation  slightly  varies  from  the  words,  but  fully 
expresses  the  sense  of  the  original  (Isa.  55:  3).  One  of  these  blessings 
•was  a  promise  to  David  that  God  would  raise  up  a  successor  of  his  house, 
the  throne  of  whose  kingdom  God  would  establish  for  ever  (2  Sam.  7: 
13,  IG).  Jesus,  whom  Paul  preached,  had  been  shown  to  be  the  Mes- 
siah by  his  resurrection  ;  the  promise,  then,  made  it  certain  that  ho 
would  live  and  reign  for  ever,  without  any  more  interruption  by  death 
or  corruption. 

Ver.  36.     For  David fell  on  sleep.     The  words  of  the 

Psalm  just  quoted  were  spoken  certainly  by  David,  but  they  cannot 
possibly  find  their  fulfilment  in  him,  for  salvation  was  promised  through 
a  Messiah  who  should  reign  for  ever ;  but  when  David  had  accom- 
plished his  allotted  work,  and  was  full  of  years  and  honors,  he  died. 
The  apostle  here  uses  the  same  expression  for  death  as  was  used  in  the 
case  of  Stephen,  '  He  fell  asleep.' — Saw  corruption.  That  is  to  say, 
the  body,  the  mortal  part,  of  David. 

Justification  hy  Faith. 

Ver.  88.  Through  this  man  is  proclaimed  unto  you  remis- 
sion of  sins.  Paul,  having  now  shown  that  in  Jesus  the  Crucified 
and  Risen  One  all  the  great  prophecies  concerning  the  Messiah  were 
fully  accomplished,  solemnly  declares  that  the  Messianic  blessings  of 
forgiveness  and  justification  alone  proceed  from  him,  and  will  only 
be  shared  by  those  who  receive  him  as  their  Lord.  Peter  had  before 
laid  stress  on  the  forgiveness  of  sins  through  Christ  as  the  great  pur- 
pose of  his  death  (2 :  38 ;  5:  31  ;  10:  43). 

Ver.  39.  ^By  him  every  one  that  believeth.  Paul  makes 
faith  the  sole  condition  of  salvation,  just  as  Peter  did  in  his  address  in 
the  house  of  Cornelius  (10:  43).  The  great  idea  of  justifying  faith 
which  he  elaborated  in  the  Epistles  to  the  Galatians  and  llomans,  is 
liere  emphatically  expressed.  The  Gospel  was  for  the  Jew  first,  but  it 
was  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth  (Rom. 
1:  IG).— ^From  which  ye   could  not  be  justified,  etc.     The 


13 :  40,  41.]  ACTS  XIII.  189 

40  Moses.     Beware  therefore,  lest  that  come  upon  you, 
which  is  spoken  in  the  prophets ; 

41  Behold,  ye  despisers,  and  wonder,  and  ^  perish  ; 
For  I  work  a  work  in  your  days, 

A  work  which  ye  shall  in  no  wise  believe,  if  one 
declare  it  unto  you. 

1  Or,  vanish  away. 

Law  made  nothing  perfect.  It  gave  the  knowledge  of  sin  and  set  up  a 
standard  of  duty  and  action.  It  demanded  perfect  obedience,  but  was 
weak  by  reason  of  the  infirmity  of  the  flesh  (Rom.  8 :  3).  But  Christ 
bore  our  sins  upon  the  tree,  and  his  all  suflficient  merit  covers  all 
iniquity.  Paul  no  doubt  spoke  from  his  own  experience.  His  efforts 
to  gain  peace  by  the  Law  hai  failed,  but  faith  in  the  forgiving  grace 
of  God  in  Christ  had  given  him  peace.  Paul's  theology  is  contained 
in  this  verse. 

Ver.  40.  In  the  prophets.  The  general  warnings  contained  in 
that  part  of  the  Old  Testament  so  named  by  the  Jews.  They  are  to 
beware  lest  the  terrible  denunciations  of  the  old  prophets  find  their 
fulfilment  in  them. 

Ver.  41.  Behold,  ye  deBpisers,  and  w^onder,  and  perish. 
The  quotation  is  from  the  LXX.  Version  of  Hab.  1 :  5.  The  sin  which 
he  warned  Israel  against  was  the  deliberate  rejection  of  the  long- 
promised  Messiah ;  and  the  punishment  in  which  the  despisers  of  Jesus 
would  perish  was  carried  out  to  its  bitter  end  only  a  few  years  after 
Paul's  words  were  spoken  in  the  Antioch  synagogue,  in  the  destruction 
of  the  Holy  City,  and  the  complete  disintegration  of  the  Jewish  nation. 

*  Practical  Notks.— The  New  Testament  is  hidden  in  the  Old.  A  skilful  hand  like 
that  of  Paul  could  turn  over  the  pages  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  show  how  the  facts 
of  the  Saviour's  life  corresponded  to  the  predictions  of  the  Prophets  an  1  the  types  of 
the  Law.  It  was  truh*  a  sealed  book  for  many  of  the  Jews.  Though  they  read  its 
words,  they  understood  not  its  meaning.— One  of  the  best  arguments  for  Christianity 
is  the  history  of  the  Jews.  The  remarkable  providences,  dangers  and  deliverances, 
literature  and  p  omis^s,  of  that  people  before  Christ's  advent,  and  the  total  destruc- 
tion of  the  Temple  and  dispersion  of  the  people  soon  after  Christ's  death  and  resurrec- 
tion can  only  be  satisfactorily  explained  upon  the  supposition  that  Christianity  is  a 
revelation  from  God.  Xeander  when  asked  by  Frederick  III.  of  Prussia,  what  was  the 
strongest  argument  for  Christianity  replied,  '  The  Jews,  your  Majesty  !'— The  Old  Dis- 
pensation was  the  prelude  to  the  Gospel.  Paul,  though  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles, 
magnified  the  history  of  the  Jews  and  insisted  upon  the  divine  purpose  in  their  pre- 
servation. God  chose  and  exalted  them,  and  ordained  that  '  salvation  is  from  the  Jews' 
(John  4:  23). — Christian  missiona-ries  are  messengers  of  good  tidings  (ver.  32).  They 
announce  the  remission  of  sins  and  the  resurrection. — The  Law  is  insufficient  to  justify 
the  soul,  to  cleanse  away  its  guilt  and  make  it  righteous.  It  can  produce  a  knowledge 
of  sin  (Rom.  3 :  20)^  and  was  given  to  restrain  man  from  transgression  (Gal.  3 :  19).     It 


190  ACTS  XIII.  [13:  42-45. 

Chapter  13:  42-52. 
Their  Further  Preaching  in  Antioch  and  Expulsion. 

42  And  as  they  went  out,  they  besought  that  these 
words  might  be  spoken   to  them   the  next  sabbath. 

43  Now  when  the  synagogue  broke  up,  many  of  the  Jews 
and  of  the  devout  proselytes  followed  Paul  and  Bar- 
nabas :  who,  speaking  to  them,  urged  them  to  continue 
in  the  grace  of  God. 

44  And  the  next  sabbath  almost  the  whole  city  was 

45  gathered  together  to  hear  the  word  of  ^  God.  But  when 
the  Jews  saw  the  multitudes,  they  were  filled  with  jea- 

1  Manj'  ancient  authorities  read  the  Lord. 

pronoiinces  a  penalty  upon  disobedience  but  cannot  forgive.  The  Law  is  weak  because 
of  the  infirmity  and  evil  lusts  of  the  flesh  (Rom.  8:  3).  It  remained  for  Christ  who  is 
'  the  end  of  the  Law '  (Rom.  10 :  4),  to  deliver  us  from  its  curse  (Gal.  3 :  10\  and  to  atone 
for  our  sins  by  his  perfect  offering  of  himself  and  righteousness. — The  only  hope  of  the 
sinner  to  be  justified  is  by  faith  in  Christ  (ver.  39).  This  great  truth  of  justification  by 
faith  uttered  by  Paul  at  Antioch  in  Pisidia,  is  the  ruling  idea  of  Paul's  Epistles  to  the 
Romans  and  Galatians.  Faith  apprehends  and  appropriates  the  blessings  of  Christ's 
atonement.  Salvation  is  sent  to  all,  but  they  only  secure  it  who  believe  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  God  declares  the  sinner  just  on  account  of  the  imputed  righteousness  of 
Christ. 

TTieir  Further  Preaching  in  Antioch  and  Expulsion,  vers.  42-52. 

Yer.  42.  And  as  they  -went  out,  they  besought,  etc. 
Neander  says  the  procedure  may  have  been  this : — As  Paul  and  Bar- 
nabas were  going  out  before  the  general  dispersion  of  the  assembly, 
the  rulers  of  the  synagogue  requested  that  they  would  repeat  their 
discourse  on  the  next  Sabbath.  The  people  having  then  withdrawn, 
many  of  the  .Jews  and  proselytes  followed  the  speakers  for  the  purpose 
of  declaring  their  assent  to  what  they  had  heard,  or  of  seeking  further 
instruction. 

*  Ver.  43.  To  continue  in  the  grace  of  God.  It  seems  evi- 
dent from  these  words  that  some  had  believed.  The  apostles  urged 
them  to  continue  in  the  faith  as  Barnabas  had  before  urged  the  believ- 
ers in  Antioch  in  Syria  (Acts  11  :  23). 

Ver.  44.  Almost  the  whole  city  was  gathered  together. 
During  the  week  the  apostles  had  doubtless  been  earnestly  engaged  in 
teaching  and  spreading  their  doctrines  in  private  assemblies;  and  the 
result  was  a  great  concourse  of  people  on  the  following  Sabbath  day  at 
the  Jewish  synagogue. 

Ver.  45.     When  the  Jews  saw^  the  multitudes,  etc.     The  old 


13:  46,  47.]  ACTS  XIII.  191 

lousy,  and  contradicted  the  things  which  were  spoken 

46  by  Paul,  and  ^blasphemed.  And  Paul  and  Barnabas 
spake  out  boldly,  and  said,  It  was  necessary  that  the 
word  of  God  should  first  be  spoken  to  you.  Seeing 
ye  thrust  it  from  you,  and  judge  yourselves  unworthy 

47  of  eternal  life,  lo,  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles.  For  so 
hath  the  Lord  commanded  us,  saying, 

I  have  set  thee  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles, 
That  thou  should  est  be  for  salvation  unto  the  utter- 
most part  of  the  earth. 

1  Or,  railed. 

exclusive  pride  of  the  race  of  Abraham  was  stirred  up  at  the  thought 
of  the  Gentiles  sharing  on  equal  terms  with  the  chosen  people  in  all  the 
promised  glories  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom.  It  was  this  feeling  which 
prompted  the  bitter  opposition  we  hear  of  in  the  next  clause. — Con- 
tradicted the  things.  They  denied  the  application  of  the  Mes- 
sianic prophecies  quoted  by  the  old  apostles,  and  most  probably  blas- 
phemed that  Holy  One  whose  cross  and  resurrection  forme!  the  cen- 
tral point  of  their  preaching. 

Ver.  46.  It  was  necessary  that  the  -word  of  God  should 
first  be  spoken  to  you.  Necessary,  because  the  Master  had  so 
commanded  it  (Acts  1:8;  Rom.  1:  16).  The  Jews,  however,  had 
only  a  prior  claim,  not  an  exclusive  one,  to  the  Gospel.  Gentiles 
would  have  been  admitted  into  the  kingdom  of  God  even  if  the  Jews 
had  not  rejected  the  Lord  Jesus.*  "  Lo,  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles."  This 
was  a  remarkable  decision.  Nothing  but  the  grace  of  God  could  hav- 
produced  the  state  of  feeling  out  of  which  it  grew.  Paul  understood 
well  the  free  and  liberal  spirit  of  the  Gospel  as  opposed  to  the  narrow 
and  haughty  spirit  of  Pharisaism.  He  felt  indeed  that  Christ  had 
broken  down  the  wall  of  partition  between  Jew  and  Gentile  (Eph  ii. 
14),  and  that  in  Christ  all  are  one.  The  Pharises  had  been  willing  to 
scour  the  cartli  to  make  a  single  proselyte  (Matt,  xxiii.  1-5)  but  na- 
tional pride  was  mixed  in  with  it.  Paul's  decision  represented  a  great 
movement.  It  was  poorly  understood  by  many  of  the  Christians  in 
Jerusalem,  but  it  was  in  the  line  of  the  Gospel,  and  time  has  so 
proved  it. 

Ver.  47.  I  have  set  thee  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles,  etc. 
The  apostles  now  show  the  assembled  crowds  that  it  was  no  momentary 
impulse  of  passion  that  had  moved  them  to  their  solemn  declaration. 
It  was  in  obedience  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  by  the  mouth  of  Isaiah 
(Isa.  xlix.  6).  According  to  their  own  sacred  oracles,  the  work  of  the 
Messiah  was  not  by  any  means  to  be  confined  to  the  Jews.  A  far 
grander  field  was  to  be  subjected  to  the  influence  of  Ilis  blessed  Spirit. 
On  the  threshold  of  the  Gospel  story,  too,  we  find  the  aged  Simeon, 


192  ACTS  XIII.  [13:  48-50. 

48  And  as  the  Gentiles  heard  this,  they  were  glad,  and 
glorified  the  word  of  ^  God :  and  as  many  as  were  or- 

49  dained  to  eternal  life  believed.  And  the  Avord  of  the 
Lord  was   spread  abroad  throughout  all  the  region. 

50  But  the  Jews  urged  on  the  devout  women  of  honourable 
estate,  and  the  chief  men  of  the  city,  and  stirred  up  a 
persecution  against  Paul  and  Barnabas,  and  cast  them 

1  Manj'  ancient  authorities  read  the  Lord. 

who,  though  waiting  for  the  consolation  of  Israel,  yet  saluted  the  ris- 
ing of  the  same  glorious  Light  over  the  darkened  Gentile  lands  (Luke 
ii.  32.) 

Ver.  48.  As  many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal  life  be- 
lieved. This  statement  has  given  rise  to  much  controversy.  The 
question  iS  whether  the  writer  is  referring  to  the  decree  of  election. 
JSome  exegetes  endeavour  to  set  aside  the  oi'diuary  rendering  of  the 
Greek  word  translated  '  ordained  '  as  in  the  English  Version,  or  '  prse- 
ordinati '  as  in  the  Vulgate,  and  in  place  of  it  substitute  an  expression 
which  would  bring  prominently  forward  human  effort  vAthQv  than  God's 
predestination.  The  best  example  of  this  school  perhaps  is  that  trans- 
lation which  takes  the  Greek  word  rendered  '  ordained '  in  a  military 
sense,  and  thus  gives  the  passage  :  '  And  whosoever  belonged  to  the 
company  of  those  who  hoped  to  obtain  eternal  life,  believed.'  This 
rendering  gives  admirable  sense,  but,  as  it  has  been  truly  observed,  the 
context  affords  no  ground  at  all  for  such  an  interpretation  of  the  word. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  the  only  admissible  explanation  is  that  which 
refers  the  word  to  the  decree  of  election:  But  this  and  similar  clear 
declarations  of  God's  sovereignty  do  not  exclude  man's  perfect  free- 
will. We  have  equally  plain  authoritative  statements  that  God  willeth 
all  to  be  saved  ;  and  he  teaches  us  none  shall  perish  except  by  wilful 
rejection  of  the  truth.  Dean  Alford's  words  in  a  very  able  note  on 
Rom.  viii.  28  are  golden  :  '  God's  sovereignty  on  the  one  side,  man's  free- 
will on  the  other,  are  plainly  declared  to  us.  All  attempts  to  bridge 
over  the  gulf  between  the  two  in  the  present  imperfect  condition  of 
man  are  futile.  .  .  .  Our  duty  and  our  wisdom  is  to  receive,  be- 
lieve, and  to  act  on  both  these  divine  statements.' 

Ver.  50,  The  devout  -women  of  honourable  estate.  Strabo, 
quoted  by  Howson  [St.  Paul,  chap,  vi.),  makes  special  mention  of  wo- 
men in  the  towns  of  Western  Asia,  and  speaks  in  strong  terms  of  the 
power  which  they  possessed  and  exercised  in  controlling  and  modify- 
ing the  religious  opinions  of  the  men. — Stirred  up  a  persecution, 
etc.  The  persecution  was  probably  a  tumultuous  outbreak.  We  find 
the  apostles  in  Acts  14 :  21  again  in  the  city.  They  would  hardly  have 
returned  so  soon,  had  they  been  formally  banished  by  the  act  of  the 
Roman  government.  The  memory  of  this  persecution  was  retained  by 
Paul  till  the  very  last  period  of  his  life  (2  Tim.  3:  11). 


13:51,52.]  ACTS  XIII.  193 

51  out  of  their  borders.     But  they  shook  off  the  dust  of 

52  their  feet  against  them,  and  came  into  Iconium.  And 
the  disciples  were  filled  with  joy  and  with  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

Ver.  51.  They  shook  ofif  the  dust  of  their  feet.  Acting  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  Master's  command  (Luke  9:  5.)  The  scribes 
taught  that  the  dust  of  a  heathen  land  defiled  by  the  touch.  Hence 
the  shaking  of  the  dust  off  the  feet  implied  that  the  city  was  regarded 
as  profane. — Came  into  Iconium.  Sixty  miles  from  Antioch. 
This  city  was  celebrated  in  the  Middle  Ages  as  the  capital  of  the  Sel- 
jukian  Sultans.  It  was  the  first  stage  in  the  long  and  brilliant 
career  of  the  Ottoman  Turks.  Iconium,  Broussa,  Adrianople,  and 
lastly  Constantinople,  have  been  successively  the  capital  cities  of  their 
vast  empire.  At  the  time  of  Paul's  visit,  Iconium  was  a  populous  city, 
the  capital  of  a  distinct  territory,  and  ruled  by  a  tetrarch.  At  the 
present  time  it  has  about  80,000  inhabitants  ;  it  is  still  called  Konieh, 
but  little,  if  anything,  remains  of  Iconium,  save  a  few  ancient  inscrip- 
tions and  fragments  of  sculpture  which  are  built  into  the  Turkish 
walls.  It  is  about  fifty  miles  east  of  Pisidian  Antioch,  near  the  foot 
of  Mount  Taurus. 

Ver.  52.  The  disciples  w^ere  filled  with  joy,  etc.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  Antioch  Church,  instead  of  being  depressed  and  disheart- 
ened by  the  enforced  departure  of  Paul  and  Barnabas,  were  elated  with 
the  hopes  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  joy  of  their  new  faith.  The  idea  of 
the  '  joy  '  of  Christian  experience  is  a  frequent  one  with  Luke  as 
love  was  with  John. 

*  Practical  Notes.  Gratitude  often  falls  behiDd  blessings  offered.  The  Jews  had 
received  many  favors  from  God,  yet  they  rejected  His  Son.  Christ  was  sent  to  the 
lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel  Glatt.  15:  24),  and  amongst  them  he  labored  all  his 
life,  for  them  he  died,  to  them  the  early  Apostles  preached  affectionately  and  ear- 
nestly, yet  they  spurned  the  benefits,  blasphemed  again  the  very  Eedeemer  whose 
grace  offered  to  them  a  full  salvation,  and  persecuted  his  ambassadors.— Superior 
mercies  often  beget  selfishness  and  pride.  The  Jews  to  whom  the  Gospel  was  offered 
at  first  not  only  refused  it,  but  were  jealous  when  they  heard  that  the  divine  favor  was 
offered  to  the  Gentiles.  They  felt  that  as  their  nation  had  received  so  many  tokens 
of  favor  in  the  past,  the  Gentiles  had  no  right  to  an  equal  share  in  it.  Had  the 
Jews  had  more  pity  and  lest  pride  they  would  have  had  more  of  a  brotherly  spirit 
for  their  fellow-men  of  all  nations.— There  is  a  time  for  closing  with  the  offer  of  divine 
grace.  There  is  an  end  to  the  day  of  mercy.  The  invitation  which  comes  now  may 
not  be  renewed,  and  the  words  may  ring  painfully  in  the  ear  of  those  who  have  re- 
jected the  offers  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  'I  have  called  and  ye  refused'  (Prov.  1:  24). 
'  The  idle  hand,'  says  Luther,  '  will  soon  be  an  empty  hand,'  and  he  who  delays  to 
accept  salvation  may  forfeit  it  The  Gospel  does  not  save  all,— only  those  who  believe. 
The  words,  '  l-o,  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles,'  condemned  the  Jews  while  they  delighted 
the  Gentiles.— It  is  well  to  return  railing  with  love.  The  apostles  had  no  bitter  words 
13 


194  ACTS  XIV.  [14:  1,  2. 

Chapter  14  f  1-7. 

Missionary  Experiences  at  Iconium. 

14  1     And  it  came  to  pass  in  Iconium,  that  they  entered 

together  into  the  synagogue  of  the  Jews,  and  so  spake, 

that  a  great  multitude  both  of  Jews  and  of  Greeks  be- 

2  lieved.     But  the  Jews  that  were  disobedient  stirred  uj) 

the  souls  of  the  Gentiles,  and  made  them  evil  affected 

for  the  Jews  who  had  rejected  their  message,  but  seeing  their  labor  among  them  was 
fruitless  they  turned  to  a  more  hopeful  part  of  the  viueyard. — The  boldness  of  Taul 
and  Barnabfis  in  preaching  to  the  Gentiles  attests  their  sincerity  and  earnestness  of 
purpose.  They  braved  contumely  and  the  revengeful  spirit  of  their  fellow  Jews  in 
turning  away  from  them.  It  is  evident  that  they  had  the  metal  of  martyrs,  and  loved 
the  praise  of  God  more  than  the  praise  of  men. — Tlio  enemies  of  the  Gospel  cannot 
stop  the  progress  of  the  Gospel.  God  is  greater  than  man.  'Let  not  your  heart  be 
troubled,'  said  the  Master.  Opposition,  false  philosophies,  may  come,  but  behind  the 
Church  is  the  Lord.  His  cause  may  seem  to  flag,  but  it  will  prosper.  From  the 
time  of  the  Jewish  malice  and  hatred,  the  Greek  ridicule  and  indifference,  and  the 
Eoman  sword,  Christianity  has  been  assailed;  but  Jerusalem  fell,  Rome  became 
Chiistian,  Luther  and  the  Reformers  appeared.  Christ's  Kingdom  must,  and  will 
prevail.— The  Christian  state  is  a  joyful  state  (ver.  52).  The  religion  of  Christ  is  a 
religion  of  joy,  because  it  sets  before  one  such  grand  hopes,  and  imparts  such  a  firm 
confidence  that  God  is  our  father  and  guardian. 

Missionary  Experiences  at  Iconium,  vers.  1-7. 
Ver.  1.  It  came  to  pass  in  Iconium.  (See  note  on  the  History 
of  the  City,  chap.  xiii.  ver.  51.)  The  success  of  Paul's  preaching  ap- 
pears to  have  been  unusually  great  in  this  place ;  and  it  was  no  doubt 
owing  to  the  rapid  spread  of  the  Gospel  in  Iconium  and  its  neighbor- 
hood that  the  jealousy  of  the  Jewish  leading  men  was  excited,  and  the 
calumnies  which  resulted  in  ihQ  banishment  of  Paul  and  Barnabas 
were  devised.— *  They  entered  together.  Paul  and  Barnabas. 
They  tarried  for  a  protracted  time  in  Iconium  (ver.  3),  and  proba- 
bly were  in  the  Jewish  synagogue  often. — Both  of  Jews  and  of 
Greeks.  There  seems  no  reason  to  restrict  the  Greeks  here  men- 
tioned to  those  believers  known  as  'proselytes  of  the  gate.'  The  re- 
putation of  Paul  very  likely  attracted  many  of  the  dwellers  in  Iconium 
who  had  no  connection  with  Judaism.  *  Nor  did  he  pass  by  the  Jews. 
He  had  turned  away  from  Ihem  to  the  Gentiles  at  Antioch  (13  :  4(5) 
because  they  rejected  the  Gospel,  and  because  he  hoped  to  do  more 
good  by  preaching  to  the  Gentiles.  He  had  not  been  actuated  by  any 
spirit  of  revolt  from  his  nation,  but  was  as  willing  as  ever  to  preach 
the  Gospel  freely  to  it.  ^    x  .i,  + 

Ver.  2.     The  Jews,  etc.     Gloag  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that 
of  the  numerous  persecutions  recorded  in  the  Acts  there  were  only 


14:  3-3.]  ACTS  XIV.  195 

3  against  the  brethren.  Long  time  therefore  they  tar- 
ried there  speaking  boklly  in  the  Lord,  which  bare 
witness  unto  the  word  of  his  grace,  granting  signs  and 

4  wonders  to  be  done  by  their  hands.  But  the  multitude 
of  the  city  was  divided ;  and  part  held  with  the  Jews, 

5  and  part  with  the  apostles.  And  when  there  was 
made  an  onset  both  of  the  Gentiles  and  of  the  Jews 
with  their  rulers,  to  entreat  them  shamefully,  and  to 

two  wliicli  -were  not  occasioned  by  the  Jews. — Stirred  up  the  souls 
cf  the  Gentiles.  The  Jews  saw  that  all  those  privileges  which  be- 
longed to  the  covenant  people,  and  of  which  they  were  so  jealously 
proud,  would  cease  altogether  to  be  their  peculiar  heritage  if  the  Gen- 
tiles were  admitted  on  the  same  terms  with  themselves  into  the  king- 
dom of  God.  The  word  here  used  by  the  writer  of  the  Acts,  the 
brethren — the  favorite  expression  by  which  the  members  of  the  Chris- 
tiau  society  used  to  designate  themselves — was  especially  obnoxious 
to  the  stubborn  Jews,  who  refused  to  accept  Christ  as  the  Messiah. 
To  these  unhappy  men,  the  thought  that  '  believing  Jews '  and  '  be- 
lieving Gentiles  '  should  constitute  one  holy  brotherhood,  was  strangely 
hateful. 

Ver.  3.  Long  time.  This  first  mission  of  Paul  and  Barnabas  is 
computed  to  have  occupied  between  three  and  four  years  (see  note  on 
ver.  27).  The  'long  time'  may  well  be  supposed  to  have  included 
several  months. — In  the  Lord.  It  was  this  confidence  in  Christ 
that  inspired  them  with  courage.  Undismayed  by  dangers  ever  thick- 
ening around  them,  the  undaunted  apostles  boldly  proclaimed  the 
Gospel. — Granting  signs  and  wonders.  But,  as  was  stated  in 
ver.  1,  the  multitudes  were  converted  by  preaching  before  any  miracle 
was  performed.  The  miracles  were  wrought  as  signs  of  Christ's  ap- 
proval of  his  servants'  work. 

Ver.  5.  When  there  was  made  an  onset.  This  could  not 
have  been  an  open  attack,  but  refers  rather  to  the  excitement,  as  the 
apostles  avoided  violence  and  stoning  by  a  timely  flight.  In  his 
Second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  (chap.  11:  25), 'Paul  writes:  'Once 
was  I  stoned.'  Paley  observes :  '  Had  this  meditated  assault  at  Iconium 
been  completed,  had  the  history  related  that  a  stone  was  thrown,  as  it 
relates  that  preparations  were  made  both  by  Jews  and  Gentiles  to  stone 
Paul  and  his  companions,  or  even  had  the  account  of  this  transaction 
stopped  without  going  on  to  inform  us  that  Paul  and  his  companions 
were  aware  of  the  danger  and  fled,  a  contradiction  between  the  his- 
tory and  epistle  would  have  ensued.  Truth  is  necessarily  consistent, 
but  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  independent  accounts  not  having  truth 
to  guide  them  should  thus  advance  to  the  very  brink  of  contradiction 
without  falling  into  it.' 


196  ACTS  XIV.  [14:  6,  7. 

6  stone  them,  they  became  aware  of  it,  and  fled  unto 
the  cities  of  Lycaonia,  Lystra   and  Derbe,  and  tlie 

7  region   round   about :   and   there   they  preached   the 
gospel. 

Ver.  6  *  Became  aware  of  it,  and  fled.  As  at  Damascus,  Paul 
was  informed  of  the  hostile  designs  of  the  Jews  and  fled  (Acts  9 :  24), 
so  here.  The  flight  of  the  apostles  was  no  sign  of  weakness  or  fear, 
but  was  in  obedience  to  the  Master's  command  (Matt.  10:  28).  Al- 
though they  fled  they  did  not  remain  silent,  but  continued  to  risk  their 
lives  by  preaching. — Cities  of  Lycaonia,  Lystra  and  Derbe. 
Lycaonia  extends  from  the  ridges  of  Mount  Taurus  and  the  Cilician 
frontiers  on  the  south  to  the  hills  of  Cappadocia  on  the  north.  Trav- 
ellers speak  of  it  as  a  desolate  country,  without  streams  of  water. 
Strabo  even  mentions  one  place  where  water  was  sold  for  money. 
Iconium  was  the  principal  city  of  this  great  district. — Lystra.  This 
city  possesses  a  post-apostolic  history.  In  the  records  of  early  coun- 
cils, the  names  of  the  Bishops  of  Lystra  appear.  The  ruins,  situated 
at  the  foot  of  a  volcanic  mountain  named  Kara  Dagh  (the  Black  Moun- 
tain), have  been  identified  in  modern  times  as  the  Lystra  of  early 
Christianity.  *  Paul  visited  it  again  in  company  with  Silas  on  his 
second  missionary  journey  (Acts  16  :  1).  It  was  forty  miles  south  of 
Iconium. — Derbe.  Little  or  nothing  is  known  of  this  city.  Its  very 
ruins  are  only  identified  with  doubt,  but  it  was  probably  about  twenty 
miles  south-east  of  Lystra.  Paul  at  least  made  one  friend  here,  Gaius 
of  Derbe  (20:  4). 

Ver.  7.  There  they  preached  the  gospeL  There  appears 
to  have  been  but  few  Jews  in  these  parts,  and  Paul's  work  must  have 
been  almost  exclusively  among  Gentiles.  We  hear  of  no  synagogue  at 
either  Lystra  or  Derbe.  The  apostles  would  preach  generally  in  the 
market-place,  or  in  some  public  thoroughfare  ;  and  a  center,  doubtless, 
of  their  work  was  that  house,  in  later  days  known  in  the  churches  as 
the  home  of  Timothy,  the  greatest  and  dearest  disciple  of  Paul,  to 
whom  Paul  afterwards  addressed  two  of  his  epistles  (Acts  16  :  1 ;  2 
Tim.  1:  2).  This  was  a  family  in  which  a  Jewish  woman  was  mar- 
ried to  a  Greek  citizen. 

*  Practical  Notes.— There  is  much  Christian  work  to  be  done  and  many  enemies. 
WTierever  Paul  and  Barnabas  went^they  found  the  same  destitution  and  need  of  the 
Gospel.  But  the  enemies  of  the  Gospel  pursued  them  and  stirred  up  new  enmity 
against  the  missionaries.  Those  who  are  bitterly  hostile  to  the  Cross  seek  to  mnke 
others  so.— The  Gospel  is  the  '  word  of  God's  ^race '  (ver.  .3).  It  is  a  message  of  divine 
love,  telling  of  the  gracious  gift  of  Christ  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  and  offering  the 
blessings  of  reconciliation  with  God  and  union  with  Christ  freely  to  all.— By  grace 
alone  are  we  saved.  The  Gospel  is  not  a  message  of  condpmnation.  It  was  not  ne- 
cessary for  Christ  to  be  made  flesh  to  apprize  the  world  of  that.  He  came  to  save  the 
world. — The    change  of  place  affected  no  change  in  the  purpose  of  the  Apostles. 


14:  8-10.]  ACTS  XIV.  197 

Chapter  14:  8-14. 
The  Missionaries  are  taken  for  gods. 

8  And  at  Lystra  there  sat  a  certain  man,  impotent  in 
his  feet,  a  cripple  from  his  mother^s  womb,  who  never 

9  had  walked.     The  same  heard  Paul  speaking  :  who, 
fastening  his  eyes  upon  him,  and  seeing  that  he  had 

10  faith  to  be  ^made  whole*,  said  with  a  loud  voice,  Stand 
upright  on  thy  feet.     And  he  leaped  up  and  walked. 

1  Or,  saved.  *  omit  marg.  i. — Am.  Com. 

WhereTer  they  were,  they  preached  Christ  and  preached  him  boldly.  So  it  was  with 
the  joy  of  faith  at  a  later  period.  It  forsook  not  Paul  sind  Silas  even  in  prison  at 
Philippi,  for  there  they  sang  praises  (Acts  16 :  25).— There  is  a  living  martyrdom, 
-which  is  as  hard  to  bear  as  the  martyrdom  by  death.  The  Apostles  fled  from  city  to 
city,  not  from  fear.  They  did  not  hide  away,  but  boldly  preached  again  in  other 
places,  and  even  retraced  their  steps  to  the  very  cities  where  their  lives  had  been  in 
jeopardy.  Paul  was,  no  doubt,  willing  to  die  fur  the  Gospel,  '  for  it  is  far  better'  to 
be  with  Christ  •  but  as  he  wrote  to  the  Philippians  (1 :  25)  that  for  their  sakes  he  was 
willing  to  live  even  longer  away  from  Christ,  so  he  felt  here  that  the  work  demanded 
that  he  should  live.— There  is  a  dififereuce  between  a  needless  exposure  of  one's  self  to 
death  and  a  readiness  to  die  for  a  cause  when  it  becomes  necessary.  It  is  not  necessary 
needlessly  to  castigate  our  backs  as  the  old  monks  used  to  do,  but  we  should  be  ready 
to  bear  suffering  when  it  comes  to  us  in  the  path  of  Christian  service. 

The  Missionaries  are  taken  for  gods,  vers.  8-14, 
Ver.  8.     There   sat  a   certain  man,  impotent  in  his  feet. 

This  does  not  seem  to  have  been  the  only  miracle  done  by  Paul  in  Asia 
Minor  (ver.  3).  There  was  no  synagogue  at  Lystra,  and  the  scene  of 
the  healing  reminds  us  '  of  the  manner  in  -which  those  -who  carry  the 
message  of  salvation  to  the  heathen  in  the  present  day  collect  around 
them  groups  of  listeners  in  Burmah  and  Hindustan.  It  was  on  one 
of  these  occasions,  as  Paul  was  preaching  in  some  thoroughfare  of  the 
city,  that  the  lame  man  heard  him  :  his  friends  had  placed  him  there 
perhaps  to  solicit  'alms'  (Hackett). 

Ver.  9.  Seeing  that  he  had  faith  to  be  made  whole. 
Something  in  the  rapt  gaze  of  the  poor  helpless  cripple  attracted  Paul, 
■who  now  looked  on  him  earnestly,  and  saw  something  in  the  suflFerer's 
face  which  moved  him  to  utter  the  commanding  words  which  possessed 
such  strange  power.  The  helpless  man  had  heard  the  apostles'  public 
teaching  about  the  crucifixion  and  resurrection  and  seems  to  have  em- 
braced the  Gospel.  Faith,  here,  as  in  the  case  of  almost  all  the  miracles 
of  the  N.  T. ,  was  the  condition  of  his  cure. 

Ver.  10.  He  leaped  up  and  walked.  The  lame  man  sprang 
up  in  his  glad  consciousness  of  a  new  power.  This  miracle  recalls  the 
miracle  of  Peter  at  the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  Temple  (Acts  3  :  1-10). 


198  ACTS  XIV.  [14:  11,  12. 

11  And  when  the  multitudes  saw  what  Paul  had  done, 
they  lifted  up  their  voice,  saying  in  the  speech  of  Ly- 
caonia,  The  gods  are  come  down  to  us  in  the  likeness 

12  of  men.     And  they  called  Barnabas,  ^  Jupiter ;  and 

1  Gr.  Ze«.s. 

The  main  differences  in  the  two  incidents  are  the  following.  In  Jeru- 
salem the  lame  man  merely  desired  and  hoped  to  receive  an  alms,  even 
after  Peter  had  bidden  him  to  look  on  him  and  John.  But  the  cripple 
at  Lystra  had  already  been  an  attentive  hearer  of  Paul.  In  Jerusalem, 
Peter  took  the  lame  man  by  the  hand  and  lifted  him  up.  At  Lystra, 
the  cripple  at  the  word  of  Paul  leaped  up  and  walked. 

Ver.  11.  They  lifted  up  their  voice.  The  whole  incident 
■was  of  so  strange  a  nature  that  it  at  once  took  by  storm  the  hearts  of 
the  impulsive  Lycaonians.  *  They  were  in  the  same  condition  of  mind 
as  those  who  saw  the  paralytic  rise  from  his  bed  at  Christ's  command 
and  walk,  and  who  said,  'we  never  saw  it  on  this  fashion'  (Mark 
2:  12). — Saying  in  the  speech  of  Lycaonia.  Hitherto  the 
intercourse  between  the  missionaries  and  the  people  of  Lystra  had  been 
carried  on  in  the  Greek  tongue,  the  ordinary  language  of  commerce  in 
the  cities  of  Asia  Minor;  but  now,  amazed  and  excited,  the  Lystrians  re- 
turned to  their  native  dialect.  *  It  is  evident  that  the  apostles  did  not 
understand  what  was  being  said  (ver.  14),  or  they  would  certainly  at 
once  have  checked  the  Lysti-ians  and  corrected  their  false  notions. 
Their  subsequent  horror  at  the  divine  honors  about  to  be  paid  them, 
indicates  that  they  had  not  understooil  the  exclamations  of  the  people. 
This  incident  confirms  what  was  said  in  chap.  2  on  the  gift  of  tongues, 
which  Paul  possessed  (1  Cor.  14  :  18),  that  it  did  not  confer  a  know- 
ledge of  all  foreign  languages. — The  gods  are  come  dow^n  to  us, 
etc.  There  was  a  myth  that  two  of  the  gods,  Jupiter  and  Mercury, 
had  visited  this  very  region.  In  return  for  the  kind  and  hospitable 
welcome  they  received  from  two  poor  peasants,  Baucis  and  Philemon, 
these  deities,  while  punishing  the  churlish  and  inhospitable  inhabitants 
of  the  land  who  had  refused  to  receive  them,  by  overwhelming  them 
and  their  homes  in  a  terrible  inundation,  rewarded  their  kind  hosts  by 
changing  their  lowly  hut  into  a  proud  temple,  at  the  altars  of  which 
Baucis  and  Philemon  were  appointed  to  minister.  The  Roman  poet, 
Ovid,  thus  tells  the  story  : 

'  Their  little  shed,  scarce  large  enough  for  two, 
Seems  from  the  ground  increased,  in  height  and  bulk  to  grow. 
A  stately  temple  shoots  within  the  skies  : 
The  crotchets  of  their  cot  in  columns  rise: 
The  pavement  polished  marble  they  behold, 
The  gates  with  sculpture  graced,  the  spires  and  tiles  of  gold.' 

Metamor])hoses. — Book  viii.,  Dryden's  Translation. 

Ver.  12.     They  called  Barnabas,  Jupiter  ;  and  Paul,  Mer- 


14:  13-15.]  ACTS  XIV.  199 

Paul,  ^Mercury,  because  he  was  the   chief   speaker. 

13  And  the  priest  of  Jupiter  whose  temple  was  before  the 
city,  brought  oxen  and  garlands  unto  the  gates,  and 

14  would  have  done  sacrifice  with  the  multitudes.  But 
when  the  apostles,  Barnabas  and  Paul,  heard  of  it, 
they  rent  their  garments,  and  sprang  forth  among  the 

Chapter.  14:  15-18. 
Address  of  the  Apostles. 

15  multitude,  crying  out  and  saying,  Sirs,  why  do  ye  these 
things  ?     We  also  are  men  of  like  ^passions  with  you, 

1  Gr.  Hermis.  *  Or,  nature. 

cury.  Barnabas  they  imagined  to  be  Jupiter  (Zeus),  most  likely 
from  his  older  and  more  venerable  appearance  ;  while  the  less  imposing 
figure  of  Paul,  and  the  fact  that  he  was  the  chief  speaker,  better 
represented  Mercury  (Hermes),  who  was  the  attendant  of  Jupiter  and 
the  messenger  of  the  gods. 

Yer.  13.  Brought  oxen  and  garlands.  These  garlands  were 
to  crown  the  oxen  about  to  be  sacrificed.  Such  floral  ci-owns  were  also 
worn  by  those  sacrificing.  They  were  composed  of  the  various  plants 
and  flowers  sacred  to  the  gods  to  whom  the  sacriflce  was  offered. — 
Unto  the  gates.  The  gates  of  the  city,  but  some  commentators 
prefer  to  understand  the  expression  as  referring  to  the  gates  of  the 
house  where  the  apostles  were  lodging.  This  seems  unlikely,  as  Paul 
and  Barnabas  evidently  were  quite  ignorant  of  the  preparations  which 
were  made  to  do  them  honor,  until  the  report  reached  their  ears,  when 
they  at  once  hurried  out  to  stop  the  proceedings. 

Ver.  14.  "When  the  apostles  heard  of  it.  Here,  as  also  in 
ver.  4  of  this  chapter,  Paul  and  Barnabas  are  styled  ApostUs.  These 
two  distinguished  men  were  formally  (Acts  13  :  2)  set  apart  by  the 
church  of  Antioch,  acting  under  the  express  direction  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  to  this  high  and  singular  position  in  the  community  of  Christians. 
(See  Excursus  at  close  of  chapter.) — They  rent  their  garments. 
This  was  the  ordinary  Jewish  mode  of  expressing  horror  or  grief  (2 
Sam.  1:2;  Matt.  26  :  65,  etc.)  Preparations  for  this  act  of  adoration 
must  have  been  going  on  for  some  time  ;  but  the  exclamations  in  the 
Lycaonian  tongue  had  suggested  nothing  to  the  missionaries  and  the 
prepai'ations  were  all  complete,  before  they  became  aware  of  the  idola- 
trous homage  which  was  intended  for  them.  ■'^We  recall  here  the  re- 
fusal of  Peter  to  receive  the  homage  of  Cornelius  flO:  25),  and  the 
divine  honors  which  Herod  Agrippa  did  not  refuse  (12  :  22). 

*'Practical  Notes.— See  close  of  next  section. 

Address  of  the  Aj)ostlcs,  vers.  15-18. 

Vers.  15.     Sirs,  why  do   ye   these   things  ?     The  argument 


SOO  ACTS  XIV.  [14:  16. 

and  bring  you  good  tidings,  that  ye  should  turn  from 

these  vain  things  unto  the  living  God,  who  made  the 

heaven  and  the  earth  and  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them 

16  is :  who  in  the  generations  gone  by  suffered  all  the 

of  Paul's  address  to  the  Lystrian  idolaters,  seems  to  be  as  follows  : — 
*  We  are  in  no  wise  different  from  you  :  we  are  but  men.  The  gods 
whom  ye  take  us  to  be,  are  no  gods  at  all.  But  there  is  a  God,  a  God 
who  made  heaven  and  earth,  who  though  He  has  not  given  to  you  any 
direct  written  revelation,  has  been  the  author  of  the  gifts  of  nature, 
upon  which  your  lives  and  happiness  depend.' — We  also  are  men 
of  like  passions  with  you.  We  are  subject  like  yourselves  to 
suffering  and  to  death,  and  do  not  possess  any  supernatural  power  in 
ourselves.  The  gods  were  regarded  as  blessed  immortals,  incapable  of 
suffering  and  want,  dwelling  in  their  own  serene  atmosphere  far 
removed  from  men,  exempt  from  all  pain  and  peril.  We  are  here  re- 
minded of  Peter's  words  (10  :  26), — Bring  you  good  tidings. 
The  glad  tidings  they  brought  were  the  object  of  the  devoted  mission- 
aries' journey.  They  came  into  these  distant  lands  not  to  receive 
divine  honors,  or  for  their  own  aggrandizement,  but  to  tell  them  of  a 
living  God,  who  loved  them  with  a  love  passing  understanding. — Ye 
should  turn  from  these  vain  things.  Probably  here  the 
preacher  pointed  with  his  hand  to  the  temple  of  Jupiter  before  the  city 
gates — vain  things  such  as  the  lifeless  idol  shrined  within.  The  whole 
discourse  should  be  compared  with  the  more  elaborate  sermon  of  Paul 
on  Mars  Hill  at  Athens  (Acts  17:  23-3]),  and  also  with  Horn.  1  : 
19-32,  where  the  vanities  and  idolatries  of  the  heathen  are  dwelt  upon 
at  considerable  length — *  Living  God.  A  designation  of  the  O.  T. 
to  distinguish  Jehovah  as  a  real  power  and  living  person  from  the 
dumb  idols  cf  heathen  nations.  Thus  David  used  the  title  in  his  con- 
test with  Goliath  (1  Sam.  17  :  26  ;  see  Deut.  5  :  26  ;  Josh.  8  :  10,  etc. 
Ver.  16.  *In  the  generations  gone  by  .  .  .  to  walk  in  their 
own  ways.  The  speaker  contrasts  the  previous  history  of  heathen 
nations  and  their  ignorance  of  God  with  the  present  revelation  of  God 
and  the  offer  of  the  Gospel  to  all  people  without  distinction.  There  is 
a  mild  reference  in  the  word  suffered  to  the  responsibility  of  the 
heathen  for  their  idolatry  and  ignorance  (Rom.  1  :  20).  Those  were 
times  of  ignorance  (Acts  17  :  30),  at  which  God  had  winked.  A  better 
time  had  dawned.  But  even  in  the  past  God  had  manifested  His  good- 
ness in  the  bounties  of  nature.  The  mild  tone  and  adroitness  of  this 
address,  which  avoids  irritating  the  people  by  denunciations  of  their 
idolatry  cannot  be  too  strongly  commended. 

♦Practicai-  Notes. — Paganism  deified  a  few  men  of  power ;  Christianity  makes  the 
humhle  and  contrite  of  heart  God's  children  and  heirs  of  the  Kingdom.  Christ  lifts 
men  up  by  making  them  new  creatures,  imparting  to  them  high  aspirations  and  im- 
buing them  with  the  spirit  of  love,  benevolence  and  purity.     Paiganism  bowed  before 


14:  17-19.]  ACTS  XIV.  201 

17  nations  to  walk  in  their  own  ways.  And  yet  he  left 
not  himself  without  witness,  in  that  he  did  good,  and 
gave  you  from  heaven  rains  and  fruitful  seasons,  filling 

18  your  hearts  with  food  and  gladness.  And  with  these 
sayings  scarce  restrained  they  the  multitudes  from 
doing  sacrifice  unto  them. 

Chapter  14:  19-28. 
The  Apostles  Stoned. 

19  But  there  came  Jews  thither  from  Antioch  and 
Iconium :  and  having  persuaded  the  multitudes,  they 
stoned  Paul,  and  dragged  him  out  of  the  city,  sup- 

idols,  and  adored  even  some  of  its  most  profligate  emperors  like  ^Caligula  as  divine, 
but  lowered  the  conception  of  God  just  by  so  much.  Christ  lifts  humanity  up  to  God  ; 
idolatry  degrades  God  to  the  level  of  sinful  humanity  (as  amongst  the  Greeks  who 
attributed  all  the  worst  human  passions  to  their  divinities),  or  even  lower. — Even  the 
Apostles  Were  sinful  men.  men  with  like  passions  with  ourselves  (ver.  15),  and  likewise 
needed  the  cleansing  blood  of  Christ.  No  one  has  ever  been  more  sensible  of  his  in- 
debtedness to  Christ  for  redemption  than  Paul.  The  Word  of  God  gives  no  countenance 
to  the  worship  of  saints. — God  is  revealed  in  nature.  The  earth  and  skies  point  back 
to  Him  as  the  Creator,  and  the  daily  bounties  of  rain,  sunshine,  etc.,  point  to  Him  as 
the  constant  presert-er  and  benefactor.  These  evidences  of  the  divine  being  the  nations 
had,  yet  they  knew  not  God.  Man  has  religious  longings,  and  he  has  tried  to  satisfy 
them  in  the  worship  of  the  stars,  ideal  gods,  idols,  or  even  the  beasts  and  reptiles  (as 
in  Egypt).  But  man's  nature  is  very  prone  to  evil,  or  he  would  not  have  '  sought  out 
so  many  inventions '  (Eccles.  7  :  29)  as  .eubstitutes  for  serving  the  true  God  and  keeping 
His  commandments.— The  long  delay  of  the  Gospel  (ver.  16)  was  a  wise  arrangement  of 
God  to  demonstrate  what  errors,  and  darkness  and  hopelessness  men  fall  into  without  the 
liglit  of  His  Word.  God  suffered  the  nations  to  walk  in  their  ways  for  forty  centuries. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  they  were  as  ignorant  of  God  and  as  sinful  as  at  the  beginning 
of  it.  Men  were  groping  in  darkness  when  the  Light  of  the  world  entered  into  it.  It 
had  been  proved  that  efforts  to  discover  God's  being  and  ways  are  futile  without  revela- 
tion, and  that  life  is  a  hopeless  journey  and  sin  an  ever-spreading  cancer  without  the 
Gospel.  Thanks  be  unto  God  that  we  have  something  better  than  the  light  of  nature 
— the  light  of  Christ's  life  and  words. 

The  Apostles  Stoned,  vers.  19-28. 
Ver.  19.  Je-ws  from  Antioch.  With  rare  exceptions,  the  Jews 
stirred  up  every  persecution  suffered  by  Paul.  Their  stubborn  jealousy 
felt  that  in  him  they  had  to  fear  one  who  was  breaking  down  the  wall 
of  partition  separating  the  Hebrew  race  from  the  Gentiles.— They 
stoned  Paul.  The  Lycaonians  were  proverbially  fickle  and  faith- 
less. It  has  been  well  said,  '  How  fickle  the  world  is  !  they  first  brinjr 
garlands,  then  stones.     Every  generation  ultimately  stones   its  own 


202  ACTS  XIV.  [14:  20,  21. 

20  posing  that  he  was  dead.  But  as  the  disciples  stood 
round  about  him,  he  rose  up,  and  entered  into  the  city : 
and  on  the  morrow  he  went  forth  with  Barnabas  to 

21  Derbe.  And  when  they  had  preached  the  gospel  to 
that  city,  and  had  made  many  disciples,  they  returned 

gods  ;  the  only  difference  is  found  in  the  manner  in  which  the  stones 
are  cast,'  This  stoning  shows  that  Jews  prompted  the  cruel  outrage. 
Stoning  was  peculiarly  a  Jewish  punishment.  The  terrible  experience 
at  Lystra  is  alluded  to  in  2  Cor.  11  :  26,  and  2  Tim.  3  :  11. 

Ver.  20.  As  the  disciples  stood  round  about  him.  His 
work  in  Lystra  had  not  been  in  vain.  Different  from  the  awful  night  in 
Gethsemane  when  all  forsook  the  Master  and  fled,  the  disciples  of  Paul, 
undismayed  by  their  Master's  ill  treatment,  show  him  sympathy.  It  is 
probable  that  among  the  group  was  Timothy,  who,  no  doubt,  had  heard 
the  story  of  the  Cross  from  Paul's  lips,  nor  is  it  an  unlikely  surmise 
which  dates  the  enthusiastic  and  lifelong  devotion  of  the  young  disciple 
from  that  morning  when  Paul  suffered  in  Lystra. — ^With  Barnabas. 
He  does  not  seem  to  have  suffered  at  all  at  the  hands  of  the  excited 
crowd.  The  reason  probably  was  that  he  was  less  aggressive  and  allowed 
Paul  to  do  all  the  public  speaking. 

Ver.  21.  "When  they  had  preached  the  gospel  to  that 
city,  etc.  The  work  at  Derbe  was  very  successful:  the  converts  were 
numerous,  and  the  apostles  evidently  met  with  no  opposition  here. 
Among  their  disciples  at  Derbe  was  that  Gains,  mentioned  Acts  20  :  4. 
Paley  calls  attention  to  an  undesigned  coincidence  between  the  his- 
tory of  the  Acts  here  and  2  Tim.  3:  11. — 'In  the  apostolic  history, 
Lystra  and  Derbe  ai^e  commonly  mentioned  together;  in  2  Tim.  3  :  11, 
Antioch,  Iconium,  Lystra  are  mentioned,  not  Derbe.  And  the  dis- 
tinction will  appear  on  this  occasion  to  be  accurate,  for  Paul  in  that 
passage  is  enumerating  his  persecutions ;  and  although  he  underwent 
grievious  persecutions  in  each  of  the  three  cities  through  which  he 
passed  to  Derbe,  at  Derbe  itself  he  met  with  none.  The  Epistle,  there- 
fore, in  the  names  of  the  cities  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  enume- 
rated, and  in  the  place  at  which  the  enumeration  stops,  corresponds 
exactly  with  the  history.' 

Ver.  21.  *They  returned  ....  confirming  the  souls  of  the 
disciples.  We  not  only  are  sti-uck  with  the  courage  of  the  apostles 
in  returning  to  the  very  places  where  they  had  so  recently  suffered 
much,  but  with  the  success  they  had  met  with  in  their  work.  They 
left  behind  them  congregations  of  believers  in  every  place  they  had 
been.  It  does  not  appear,  however,  that  they  preached  publicly  again. 
Their  object  was  to  confirm  the  disciples  in  the  faith.  Their  example 
teaches  us  that  the  work  of  building  up  believers  is  only  second  in  im- 
portance to  the  work  of  convincing  the  unconverted. 


14:  22-25.]  ACTS  XIV.  203 

22  to  Lystra,  and  to  Iconium,  and  to  Antioch,  confirming 
the  souls  of  the  disciples,  exhorting  them  to  continue 
in  the  faith,  and  that  through  many  tribulations  we 

23  must  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  And  when  they 
had  appointed  for  them  elders  in  every  church,  and 
had  prayed  with  fasting,  they  commended  them  to  the 

24  Lord,  on  whom  they  had  believed.     And  they  passed 

25  through  Pisidia,  and  came  to  Pamphylia.  And  when 
they  had  spoken  the  word  in  Perga,  they  went  down 

Ver.  22.  Through  many  tribulations  we  must  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  God.  Ihe  happiness  which  awaits  the  redeemed 
in  heaven  is  reached  through  an  avenue  of  suffering.  Tliese  first  Gen- 
tile converts  had  to  learn  the  lesson,  '  xVo  cross,  no  croivn.^  It  has  been 
very  beautifully  said  :  '  Thinkest  thou  that  thou  wilt  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  without  the  cross  and  tribulation  ?  But  neither 
Christ  nor  any  one  of  his  most  beloved  friends  hai  the  power  or  the 

will  to  do  so Carry  the  cross  with  a  willing  heart,  and  it  will 

guide  thee  to  the  place  where  thy  sorrows  will  end,  and  where  thou 
wilt  find  all  for  which  thy  soul  hath  longed '  (Thomas  Aquinas). 

Ver.  23.  When  they  had  appointed  for  them  elders.  There 
is  some  dcubt  here  as  to  whether  the  Greek  word  oppoinied  signi- 
fies that  Paul  and  Barnabas  simply  conducted  the  elections  of  the 
churches,  or  whether  they  themselves  appointed  these  elders  (or  pres- 
byters). The  latter  is  the  more  probable,  as  in  these  new-formed  congre- 
gations, elders  chosen  by  Paul  and  Barnabas,  would  be  more  likely  to 
command  respect  when  the  apostles  were  far  away,  than  any  elders 
chosen  by  popular  vote.  (See  Excursus  at  the  end  of  the  chapter). 
— -Commended  them  to  the  LorJ.  Bengel  aptly  says  :  'This 
word  shows  faith  in  Christ  and  love  for  the  saints.'  (See  Acts  20:  32). 

Ver.  25.  When  they  had  spoken  the  -word  in  Perga.  This 
was  their  second  visit.  On  the  first  they  merely  passed  through  it, 
now  they  formally  preach  the  Gospel  within  its  walls.  It  was  here 
that  John  Mark  had  left  them  to  return  to  Jerusalem  (13:  13)  — 
Attalia.  A  port  on  the  Pamphylian  Gulf,  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  important  city  of  Perga.  It  was  built  and  named  after  Attains 
Philadelphus,  king  of  Pergamos,  who  had  built  it  in  a  convenient 
position  for  commanding  the  trade  of  Syria  or  Egypt.  Attalia  was 
famous  in  the  story  of  the  Crusades,  under  the  name  of  Sataleia,  as 
the  port  whence  King  Louis  of  France,  after  his  disastrous  march 
through  Anatolia,  embarked  with  his  knights  and  nobles  for  Antioch, 
leaving  tlie  plebeian  crowd  of  infantry  to  perish  at  the  foot  of  the 
Pamphylian  hills,  a.d.  1148.  It  is  now  called  Adalia,  and  is  a  harbor 
much  frequented. 


204  ACTS  XIV.  [U:  20-28. 

26  to  Attalia ;  and  thence  they  sailed  to  Antioch,  from 
whence  thej  had  been  committed  to  the  grace  of  God 

27  for  the  work  which  they  had  fulfilled.  And  when 
they  were  come,  and  had  gathered  the  church  together, 
they  rehearsed  all  things  that  God  had  done  with 
them,  and  how  that  he  had  opened  a  door  of  faith  un- 

28  to  the  Gentiles.  And  they  tarried  no  little  time  with 
the  disciples. 

Ver.  26.  Thence  they  sailed  to  Antioch.  Antioch  in  Syria, 
from  which  they  had  started  on  their  missionary  tour.  They  now  re- 
turned to  give  an  account  of  their  mission. 

Ver.  27.  They  rehearsed  all  things  that  God  had  done. 
The  exact  time  during  which  the  apostles  had  been  absent  is  uncertain  ; 
we  have,  however,  two  definite  points  of  time  to  assist  us  in  deter- 
mining the  length  of  this  period.  Paul  returned  from  Jerusalem  to 
Antioch  after  having  carried  the  alms  from  the  Antioch  Christians  to 
the  poor  .Jerusalem  saints  (see  11 :  29,  30;  12  :  25),  a.d.  44.  In  a.d.  50, 
Paul  and  Barnabas  went  up  again  to  Jerusalem  from  the  Antioch 
church  to  confer  with  the  Apostles  on  the  matter  of  the  circumcision 
of  the  Gentile  converts  (15  :  2).  Six  years,  then,  were  spent  in 
Antioch  and  on  the  First  Missionary  Journey  :  out  of  those  six  years 
it  is  likely  that  three  or  four  years  were  spent  on  the  journey  to 
Cyprus  and  Asia  Minor. — *Opened  a  door  of  faith.  Paul  several 
times  uses  the  word  door  figuratively  for  an  avenue  of  access  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  as  in  Ephesus  (1  Cor.  16  :  9),  at  Troas  (2  Cor.  2:  12) ;  and 
in  the  Epistle  to  the  Colossians  he  asks  them  to  pray  that  a  '  door  for 
the  word,'  etc.,  might  be  opened  to  him.  The  expression  here  signi- 
fies that  the  Gentiles  had  been  admitted  to  a  share  in  the  hopes  of  the 
Gospel.  Faith  is  not  represented  as  a  door,  but  as  having  gotten  ac- 
cess to  the  blessings  of  salvation. 

Ver.  28.  *They  tarried  no  little  time,  etc.  'St.  Paul  was 
naturally  more  attached  to  Antioch  than  to  Jerusalem'  (Lumby).  He 
must  have  remained  here  more  than  a  year.  This  residence  is  a  new 
proof  of  the  importance  of  Antioch  as  a  centre  of  Christian  influence. 
Paul  must  have  been  in  close  sympathy  with  the  local  church.  The 
results  of  his  missionary  journey  had  been  large  and  gratifying,  but 
in  spite  of  the  sufferings  to  which  he  had  been  subjected  he  was  only 
resting,  prior  to  a  second  and  more  extensive  journey  to  the  Gentiles. 

*Practical  Notes — The  ill-treatment  we  practice  upon  others  is  sometimes  retiirned 
upon  ourselves.  Paul  stoned  Stephen  at  Jerusalem,  or,  at  least,  consented  to  the 
B!:oning,  and  was  himself  stoned  at  Lystra  by  an  angry  crowd.  His  experience  must, 
have  recalled  vividly  that  of  the  first  martyr. — The  work  of  building  up  believers  is 
important  as  well  as  that  of  converting  the  unbelieving  (ver.  22).  Young  members  of 
the  Church  frequently  do  not  mature  into  strong  Christians  for  want  of  training. 


14:  28.  J  ACTS  XIV.  205 

Christian  cbaracter  is  a  mutter  of  growth.  Paul  and  Barnabas  not  only  "  made  dis- 
ciples," but  "confirmed"  them.  The^'  gave  them  further  instructions  in  the  jilan  of 
salvation,  and  counselled  tht-m  against  wavering.  1  he  seed  after  it  has  been  sown 
must  be  watered. — The  waj'  to  heaven  leads  through  afflictions  and  self-denials  (ver.  22). 
The  follower  of  the  Lord  bears  a  cross  In  the  world  we  shall  have  tribulation  (John 
lb  :  a3),  but  those  who  beai-  the  cro^s  in  the  spirit  of  the  Master  shall  stand  before  the 
throne  of  God  (Eev.  7  :  14.)  The  tribulatioiiS  of  Christians  do  not  now  have  the  form 
of  persecution  from  without,  as  then,  but  they  must  contend  against  the  same  lusts  of 
the  flesh,  pride  of  life,  fiery  darts  of  the  wicked  one,  and  the  usual  afflictions  which 
are  common  to  man.  Christianity  does  not  take  us  away  from  the  temptations  and 
pains  of  the  world,  but  helps  us  to  overcome  the  world. — Church  government  is  an 
element  of  Church  prosperity.  With  all  their  dependence  upon  Christ,  the  apostles 
yet  ordained  elders  in  the  churches  (ver.  2:^).  The  wise  and  discreet  ruauagement  and 
example  of  godly  church  officers  are  sources  of  great  strength  to  congregations.  But 
the  officers  of  a  Christian  chui  ch  should  be  known  as  Christian  men  — It  is  a  joy  to 
have  carried  out  a  good  design  and  b.  ought  it  to  a  fulfilment  (ver.  2G).  The  two  apostles 
■who  had  been  dispatched  from  Autioch,  in  Syria,  on  a  missionarj'  tour,  returned  feel- 
ing that  they  had  '  fulfilled  their  work.'  The  satisfaction  of  having  accomplished  a 
good  work  and  finished  a  definite  course  more  than  counterbalanced  all  the  pains  and 
trials  by  the  way. — The  apostles  did  not  so  much  rehearse  what  tlie>j  had  done  as  what 
Cod  had  done  (ver.  27). 

EXCLKSUS   ON   THE    OFFICE   OF   ElDER   OR   PRESBYTER    IN   THE    EaELY    ChURCU.- The 

term  rider  is  the  uniform  translation  in  the  English  X.  T. of  the  Greek  y^ovA presbyter 
(irpea-fivrepoi).  The  presbyterate  of  the  Church  of  the  first  days  was  no  new  creation. 
The  Christian  Church  in  its  earliest  stage,  as  has  been  well  said,  '  was  regarded  by  the 
body  of  the  Jewish  people  as  nothing  more  than  a  new  sect  springing  up  by  the  side 
of  the  old.'  Th*^  term  '  presbyter'  or  *  elder'  was  applied  to  the  rulers  of  the  Jewish  syna- 
gogues. They  formed  a  college  under  the  presidency  of  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  and 
assisted  him  with  their  advice.  Upon  this  body  devolved  the  conduct  of  the  religious 
affairs  of  the  synagogue.  The  term  in  the  first  instance  refers  to  age,  and  then  deri- 
vatively to  official  dignity.  On  the  formation  of  the  first  Gentile  communities  in  Asia 
Minor,  the  organization  of  the  synagogue  was  imitated  closely,  and  the  title  and  func- 
tion«  of  the  elders  of  the  synagogue?  were  bestowed  on  those  converts  who  from 
age  or  other  special  qualifications  appeared  to  the  AposMes  the  best  fitted  to  direct  the 
religious  services,  and  watch  over  the  general  interests  of  the  new  societies.  The 
duties  of  these  presbyters,  who,  we  read,  were  appointed  by  the  two  missionary 
Apostles  were  by  no  means  confined  to  ruling  and  superintending;  they  were  also 
instructors  (1  Tim.  5:  17  ;  Heb.  13  :  7). 

*  The  example  of  Paul  in  appointing,  or  securing  the  appointment  by  election,  of 
elders  for  the  churches  of  Asia  Minor,  is  of  much  importance  for  the  light  it  sheds 
upon  the  form  of  government  that  prevailed  in  the  Apostolic  Church.  No  form  of 
Church  government  was  distinctly  enjoined  cither  by  our  Lord  or  the  Apostles.  The 
early  Church,  however,  had  its  regularly  appointed  an  1  authoritative  officers.  The 
main  questions  in  connexion  with  Ihis  s'.ibject  are, — how  many  orders  of  officers  were 
recognised  in  the  Apostolic  Church  ?  and  whether  its  example  and  practice  are  bind- 
ing upon  the  Church  in  all  periods  of  its  history  ?  Both  these  questions  have  been 
discussed  with  much  warmth  and  been  differently  answered  by  different  portions  of  the 
Christian  Church.     Here  we  shall  take  up  the  first  question. 


206  ACTS  XIV.  [14:  28. 

It  is  generally  agreed  that  the  officers  of  the  apostolic  Church  were  known  by  the 
title  of  apostles,  bishops  (or  overseers),  elders  (or  presbyters),  and  deacons.  The  Apostles 
were  a  peculiar  order  of  men,  and  have  no  successors  in  the  strict  sense.  They  ap- 
pointed no  successors,  and  the  name  was  not  applied  after  the  first  century.  The  large 
majority  of  them  had  seen  the  Lord,  and  had  received  a  special  commission  from  him. 
Barnabas  perhaps  James  (Gal.  1 :  19),  and  those  mentioned  in  Kom.  16 :  7,  received 
this  designation,  who  had  not  seen  the  Lord;  but  we  are  to  regard  the  designation  as 
applied  to  them  in  a  modified  sense.  Paul  (Kom.  1:1;  Eph.  1 :  1,  etc.;  and  Peter  (1  Pet. 
1 :  1)  laid  great  stress  upon  their  apostolic  authority.  Paul  gave  three  evidences  of  his 
apostleship,  namely,  that  he  had  received  a  special  call  (Gal.  1 :  12  sqq),  had  seen  the 
Lord  (1  Cor.  9  :  1),  and  liad  the  power  of  working  miracles  (2  Cor.  12 :  12).  The  last 
evidence  he  speaks  of  as  a  necessary  qualification  of  an  Apostle.  The  Apostles  were 
not  officers  of  local  congregations,  but  had  the  general  oversight  of  the  entire  Church. 
James  is  the  only  one,  so  far  as  we  know,  who  confined  himself  more  closely  to  a 
single  locality,  and  his  position  seems  to  have  been  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  a 
diocesan  bishop.  It  must,  however,  not  be  forgotten  that  his  authority  extended 
beyond  Judaea  (chap.  15).  The  Apostolic  office  was  one  of  great  authority  in  the 
Church,  and  importance  to  it  (Eph  2  :  2J;3  :  5,  etc). 

Below  the  Apostles  there  were  two  orders  of  officers  in  the  Church,  the  presbyter- 
ate  (or  order  of  elders;,  and  the  diaconate.  The  diacouate  was  created  by  the  Apostles 
to  meet  a  special  emergency  of  the  churcli  at  Jerusalem  (Acts  6 :  1-6),  but  was  estab- 
lished also  at  Philippi  (Phil.  1 :  1),  and  at  other  places  (1  Tim.  3 :  8).  It  has  been 
discussed  in  ch.  6.  The  presbyters  or  elders  were  an  order  of  superior  authority  to 
the  deacons,  and  were  regarded  as  an  essential  element  in  the  constitution  of  local 
Christian  churches.  Paul  appointed  such  officers  in  the  congregations  of  Asia  Minor 
(ver.  23),  and  enjoined  Titus  to  ordain  them  in  every  city  (Tit.  1 :  6).  Jerusalem  and 
Ephesus  had  their  corps  of  elders.  Their  functions  were  in  general  the  management 
and  pastoral  oversight  of  the  local  congregations  to  which  their  jurisdiction  extended. 
This  consisted  in  visiting  and  anointing  the  sick  (Jam.  5  :  14)  general  superintend- 
ence and  discipline  (1  Pet.  5 :  2),  and  teaching  (I  Tim.  5 :  17).  They  occupied  a  posi- 
tion subordinate  only  to  that  of  the  Apostles,  in  connection  with  whom  they  are  fre- 
quently mentioned  (Acts  15  :  2 ;  16:  4,  etc),  and  who  with  them  formed  a  board 
of  council  at  the  Synod  of  Jerusalem  ^Acts  15  :  22).  As  compared  with  the  order  of 
deacons,  the  presbyterate  (or  order  of  elders)  exercised  more  important  functions,  and 
was  regarded  as  more  essential  to  the  well-being  of  the  Church.  The  latter  becomes 
apparent  when  we  recall  that  no  mention  is  made  of  the  appointment  of  deacons  by 
Paul  in  the  churches  of  Asia  Minor,  and  the  sparse  references  to  them  in  the  New 
Testament. 

It  only  remains  to  consider  the  relation  of  the  presbyters  or  elders  to  the  bishops. 
Were  the  terms  designations  of  a  single  order  of  men,  or  did  they  represent  two  dis- 
tinct orders  with  distinct  functions  ?  The  latter  is  the  view  of  the  Koman  Catholic 
and  Greek  Churches,  and  of  the  so-called  High  Church  party  in  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, and  the  Episcopal  Church  of  the  United  States.  It  regards  episcopacy,  or  the 
distinct  order  of  bishops  as  essential  to  the  very  being  of  the  Church,  and  bishops 
"  as  the  successors  of  the  Apostles  are  possessed  of  the  same  power  of  jurisdiction  " 
(Blunt).  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  in  the  epistles  of  Ignatius  (d.  about  109)  a  dis- 
tinct order  of  bishops  is  definitely  taught.  The  statements  of  the  New  Testament, 
however,  are  against  this  view,  and  designate  one  and  the  same   order  of  Church 


15:  1.]  ACTS  XV.  207 


Chapter  15 :  1-5. 

The  Judaizing  Teachers  at  Antioch  and  the  Delegation  to 
Jerusalem. 

15:  1     And  certain  men  came  down  from  Jadsea  and 

ofScers  by  the  titles  bishop  and  presbyter  (or  elder).  The  term  elder  is  of  Jewish 
origin,  and  was  taken  from  the  synagogue.  The  term  bishop  (epMopos)  is  Greek, 
and  was  used  in  Athens  to  designate  a  body  of  commissioners.  It  means  overseer  or 
superintendent,  and  was  used  as  synonymous  with  the  term  elder,  as  appears  from  Acts 
20.  Paul  called  <be  'elders'  (ver.  17;  of  Ephesus  to  Miletns,  that  he  might  bid  them 
farewell,  and  in  his  address  he  designates  them  as  'bishops'  (ver.  28,  e7ria>co7roi).  The 
Greek  word,  which  is  otherwise  translated  bishop  in  the  2sew  Testament,  is  here  trans- 
lated overseer  in  the  A.  V.  In  his  letter  to  the  church  at  Philippi,  Paul  addresses  its 
officers  as  '  bishops  and  deacons.'  It  is  evident  that  this  expression  was  designed  to  be 
comprehensive,  and  it  was  natural  for  Paul  to  speak  of  the  principal  church  officers  in 
the  Greek  city  of  Philippi  as  the  'bishops;'  but  we  cannot  conceive  that  the  apostle, 
who  had  appointed  elders  in  all  the  churches  of  Asia  Jlinor,  should  have  omitted  them 
from  his  list  in  Philippi.  Again,  Peter  charges  the  elders  to  '  exercise  oversight '  (e},is- 
kopeo),  where  the  word  is  the  same  as  that  translated  '  bishop.'  That  there  was  no  inter- 
vening order  between  the  Apostles  and  presbyters  seems  also  clear  from  the  frequent 
references  to  these  two  orders  as  the  highest  in  the  Church  (Acts  15  :  2).  The  Greek 
designation  'bishop'  {episkopos)  is  used  only  once  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  (20:  28), 
and  four  times  in  the  rest  of  the  New  Testament  (Phil.  1 :  1 ;  1  Tim.  3:2;  Tit.  1:7; 
1  Pet.  2:  25).  In  the  last  passage  it  refers  to  Christ.  The  Greek  term  for  elder 
(presbyter),  on  the  other  hand,  occurs  ten  times  in  the  Acts,  when  it  refers  to  church- 
officers,  and  seven  times  in  the  Epistles.  The  term  (episkope),  translated  *  office  of  a 
bishop'  in  1  Tim.  3:  1,  is  rendered  'office'  when  it  is  used  of  Judas  (Acts  1:  20), 
and  'visitation'  (1  Pet.  2:  12).  The  conclusion  to  be  drawn  from  the  foregoing  is 
that  besides  the  Apostles,  there  are  only  two  orders  of  church-officers  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, presbyters  (or  elders)  and  deacons.  Bishop  or  overseer  was  another  designation 
for  presbyter  (or  elder).  This  has  been  and  is  the  view  of  the  best  expositois  of  the 
New  Testament  (Alford,  Meyer,  etc.).  Dr.  Lightfoot,  Bishop  of  Durham,  in  tis  mas- 
terly and  fair  discussion  of  the  ministry  of  the  Xew  Testament  (Com.  on  PMlippians, 
pp.  180-267),  says :  '  The  episcopate  was  formed  out  of  the  presbyteral  order  by  eleva- 
tion; and  the  title  (bishop),  which  was  originally  common  to  all  the  presbyters  or 
elders,  came  at  length  to  be  appropriated  to  the  chief  of  them.'  For  further  informa- 
tion, see  Art.  Bishop  and  EpiscopAcrr  in  the  Religious  Encyclopsedia  of  Schafif  and 
Herzog,  N.  Y.,  1882. 

Judaizing  Teachers  at  Antioch  and  the  Delegation  to  Jerusalem,  vers.  1-5. 

Ver.  1.  ^Certain  men  came  down  from  Judasa.  These 
words  introduce  the  description  of  one  of  the  most  exciting  and  impor- 
tant controversies  in  the  history  of  Christianity.  Two  questions  only 
in  the  history  of  the  theological  thought  of  these  eighteen  centuries 
approach  it  in  vital  importance :  the  "question  of  the  Trinity,  which 


208  ACTS  XV.  [15:  1. 


taught  the  brethren,  saying j  Except  ye  be  circumcised 

shook  the  Church  to  its  very  foundation  in  the  fourth  century,  and 
was  settled  at  the  Council  of  Nice  in  325,  and  the  question  of  Justitica- 
tion  by  faith,  which  was  the  central  doctrinal  principle  of  the  Protest- 
ant Reformation,  and  was  boldly  proclaimed  by  Luther,  say  from  the 
posting  of  his  ninety-five  theses  on  the  church-door  of  Wittenberg  in 
1517.  The  supreme  question  which  agitated  the  Apostolic  Church  was 
the  relation  of  the  ritual  of  Moses  to  the  Christian  scheme,  and  the 
right  of  the  Gentiles  to  participation  in  it.  A  certain  privileged  class 
in  the  Church  of  legalists  or  Judaizers  held  that  the  Mosaic  ritual  was 
not  only  still  in  force,  but  that  it  was  obligatory  on  all  the  Gentile 
converts.  In  other  words,  they  held  that  a  Gentile  had  to  become  a 
Jew  and  be  circumcised  before  he  could  become  a  Christian.  Paul 
represented  the  different  doctrine  that  Christ's  fulfilment  of  the  Law 
was  its  abrogation,  and  that  the  Gentiles  could  partake  of  the  benefits 
of  the  Gospel  by  simple  faith  in  Christ.  Judaizing  teachers  went  down 
to  Antioch,  and  by  controverting  these  views,  precipitated  the  contro- 
versy and  also  a  Church  council  at  Jerusalem.  Thither  Paul  went 
and  plead  for  liberty.  The  result  was  a  compromise ;  but  after  all,  the 
main  point  was  gained,  that  the  Gentiles  could  receive  the  salvation  of 
the  Gospel  without  submitting  to  circumcision.  Had  any  other  views 
prevailed,  and  had  Paul  ceased  to  preach  a  free  Gospel  for  the  Gen- 
tiles, the  progress  of  Christianity  would  have  been  confined  to  the 
advocates  of  the  Hebrew  religion  and  the  descendants  of  Abraham 
according  to  the  flesh.  The  Judaizing  teachers  failed  to  comprehend 
that  'Christianity  was  not  a  religion  of  washings  and  cleansings,  of 
times  and  seasons,  of  meats  and  drinks,  but  a  religion  of  holiness  of 
the  heart'  (Farrar,  St.  Paul,  I.  421).  The  great  principle  had  already 
been  proclaimed  by  Stephen,  that  the  Temple-worship  was  thenceforth 
a  matter  of  indifTerence,  and  the  laws  of  Moses  were  abolished.  But 
it  remained  for  Paul  and  Barnabas  to  win  permanent  recognition  from 
the  leaders  at  Jerusalem  for  the  truth  that  Christianity  was  not  a  sec- 
tarian and  a  national  institution,  but  a  religion  for  the  world  and  of  a 
Redeemer  before  whom  worshippers  of  every  nation  and  people  with- 
out distinction  of  blood  should  bow.  But,  in  spite  of  the  council,  in 
spite  of  Paul,  in  spite  of  the  growth  of  the  Church  among  the  Gentiles, 
these  narrow  views  still  continued  to  be  advocated  by  the  Judaizers, 
yea,  prevailed  to  some  extent  in  Jerusalem  (see  chaps.  21 :  17-26  ;  22  : 
21;  26:  20,  etc.),  views  which  now  every  child  knows  are  foreign  to 
the  spirit  of  the  Gospel  from  the  song  of  the  angels  over  Bethlehem  to 
the  last  command  of  the  Lord  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  all  nations. 
(For  further  remarks,  see  Excursus  A.) — Except  ye  be  circum- 
cised after  the  custom  of  Moses,  ye  cannot  be  saved. 
These  Jewish  teachers  proclaimed  the  doctrine  in  a  positive  and  for- 
mal manner,  that  Gentile  Christians  could  not  be  saved  unless  they 
submitted  to  the  rules  and  ordinances  of  the  Mosaic  Law,  of  which  cir- 
cumcision was  the  initial  ceremony.     They  thus  denied  the  sufficiency 


15;  2.]  ACTS  XV.  209 

2  after  the  custom  of  Moses,  ye  cannot  be  saved.  And 
when  Paul  and  Barnabas  had  no  small  dissension  and 
questioning  with  them,  the  brethren  appointed  that 
Paul  and  Barnabas,  and  certain  other  of  them,  should 
go  up  to  Jerusalem  unto  the  apostles  and  elders  about 

of  faith  in  Christ  for  pardon  and  reconciliation.  *They  held  that  a 
man  must  first  become  a  Jew  before  he  could  become  a  Christian.  It 
is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  many  of  the  Jewish  Christians,  who  had 
been  brought  up  in  the  narrow  and  bigoted  school  of  I'harisaism, 
should  have  held  such  \aews.  But  it  only  shows  how  far  they  were 
from  understanding  the  real  temper  and  spirit  of  Christianity.  Paul 
who  had  likewise  been  a  fanatic  Hebrew  and  had  belonged  to  the 
strictest  sect  of  the  Pharisees,  breathed  the  freer  atmosphere  of  the 
Gospel,  and  had  not  listened  in  vain  to  Stephen's  dying  address,  that 
the  Old  Testament  economy  was  only  temporary  and  preparative. 
The  church  at  Antioch  sympathized  with  Paul. 

Ver.  2.  No  small  disaenEion  and  questioning.  It  is  not 
improbable  that  these  Judaizing  teachers  succeeded  in  persuading 
Bome  of  the  Antioch  Christians  to  adopt  their  views ;  for,  at  a  later 
period,  after  the  decision  at  the  Council  of  .Jerusalem,  we  find  the  same 
question  again  agitating  the  Antioch  believers,  and  even  seriously 
affecting  the  policy  of  such  men  as  Peter  and  Barnabas  (Gal.  2:  11-13). 
— ^Certain  other  of  them.  Among  these  was  Titus,  Gal.  2 :  1. 
Whether  he  went  as  a  delegate  or  simply  as  Paul's  companion,  we  do 
not  know. — Sho"Id  go  up  to  Jerusalem  uiito  the  apostles,  etc. 
In  Gal.  2,  where  Paul  gives  his  own  account  of  this  momentous  jour- 
ney, he  says  he  went  up  bi/  rcvelot.'on.  Such  an  intimation  of  the 
divine  will  at  a  crisis  like  this,  in  the  first  days  of  the  faith,  is  what 
we  should  expect.  Paul  also  received  revelations,  on  the  Damascus 
journey  (Acts  9);  when  he  was  about  to  carry  the  Gospel  from  Asia 
into  Europe  (Acts  16  :  9) ;  in  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem,  when  he  was 
commissioned  to  preach  to  the  Gentile  world  (Acts  22:  18),  etc.  In 
the  midst  of  the  confusion  excited  at  Antioch  by  the  teaching  of  the 
Judaizers  from  Jerusalem,  we  may  suppose  that  the  divine  voice  in- 
structed Paul  to  propose  the  mission  to  Jerusalem,  which  was  still  the 
residence  of  the  Apostles,  and  for  that  reason,  as  well  as  for  its  own 
sacred  associations,  regarded  with  veneration  by  the  ether  churches. 
*This  journey  of  Paul  to  Jerusalem  was  his  third  visit  to  that  city, 
and  occurred  about  50  A.  D.  Prof.  Plumptre  well  remarks  that  the 
delegation  was  sent  to  consult  with  the  Apostles  and  the  elders,  a  fact 
wholly  inconsistent  with  the  present  theory  prevailing  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  according  to  which  Peter  was  the  infallible  guide  of 
the  Church.  James  took  a  more  prominent  part  at  the  council  than 
Peter. 

14 


210  ACTS  XV.  [15 :  3-5. 

3  this  question.  They  therefore,  being  brought  on  their 
way  by  the  church,  passed  through  both  Phoenicia  and 
Samaria,  declaring  the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles : 
and    they    caused    great  joy    unto   all    the   brethroi. 

4  And  when  they  were  come  to  Jerusalem,  they  were 
received  of  the  church  and  the  apostles  and  the  elders, 
and  they  rehearsed  all  things  that  God  had  done  with 

5  them.  But  there  rose  up  certain  of  the  sect  of  the 
Pharisees  who  believed,  saying,  It  is  needful  to  cir- 
cumcise them,  and  to  charge  them  to  keep  the  law  of 
Moses. 

Ver.  3,  Being  brought  on  their  way  by  the  church.  That 
is,  attended  by  some  of  the  members  of  the  Antioch  congregation,  as  a 
mark  of  respect.  This  notice  shows  that  the  sentiment  of  the  Chris- 
tians in  Antioch  wns  in  favor  of  their  teaching.  The  great  joy  caused 
to  the  brethren  of  Phoenicia  and  Samaria  by  the  recital  of  the  Gentile 
conversions  also  shows  the  general  sympathy  felt  for  those  who  urged 
Gentile  freedom. 

Ver.  4.  *  All  things  that  God  had  done.  This  refers  to  the 
experiences  of  Paul  and  Barnabas  on  their  missionary  tour,  and  in- 
dicates that  Paul  had  not  been  in  Jerusalem  before  since  their  return 
to  Antioch.  He,  no  doubt,  laid  stress  upon  the  eagerness  with  which 
the  Gentiles  had  received  the  Gospel,  and  the  perils  to  which  they 
themselves  had  been  subjected  by  the  Jews  and  otherwise  (ver.  26). 

Ver.  5.  Certain  of  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees.  Some  of 
these  Pharisees  must  have  been  the  companions  of  Paul  years  before, 
when  he  studied  the  Law  under  Gamaliel,  and  their  animosity  noio  was 
doubtless  strengthened  when  they  called  to  mind  how  he  once  promised 
to  be  their  future  leader  in  the  restoration  of  Judaism  ;  but  while  they 
and  he  had  found  in  Jesus  the  Messiah,  theij  were  only  longing  to  raise 
and  spiritualize  the  ancient  religion  of  Israel,  he  to  merge  the  Church 
of  Israel  in  the  Church  of  the  world,  and  to  prove  that  the  Messiah  be- 
longed to  the  Isles  of  the  Gentiles  as  much  as  he  did  to  the  Land  of 
Promise, — that  henceforth  there  must  be  no  distinction  between  the 
Jew  and  Gentile,  but  that  both  were  -equally  sharers  in  the  eternal 
promise,  whether  they  kept  the  sacred  law  of  Moses  or  not. — It  is 
needful  to  circumcise  them.  Even  Jewish  opinion  was  divided 
on  the  question,  how  far  the  Law  was  binding  upon  Gentile  proselytes 
to  Judaism.  One  school,  and  that  a  very  influential  one,  maintained 
that  circumcision  was  a  rite  that  under  no  circumstances  might  be  dis- 
pensed with.  These  rigid  and  uncompromising  Jews  were  opposed  to 
any  overtures  being  made  to  Gentiles,  and  generally  discouraged 
prosely  tism.     The  famous  teacher  Schammai,  it  is  said,  drove  any  Gen- 


15 :  6,  7.]  ACTS  XY.  211 

Chapter  15:  6-13. 

Peter's  Address.     Salvation  by  Grace, 

6  AdcI  the  apostles  and  the  elders  were  gathered  to- 

7  gether  to  consider  of  this  matter.  And  when  there  had 
been  much  questioning,  Peter  rose  up,  and  said  unto 
them, 

tile  converts  who  might  present  themselves  from  his  house.  Another 
and  more  liberal  school,  led  by  Hillel,  endeavored  to  make  the  way 
easy  for  proselytes  to  Judaism. 

Peter's  Address.     Salvation  by  Grace,  vers.  6-13. 

Ver.  6.  The  apostles  and  the  elders  "were  gathered  together 
to  consider  of  this  matter.  This  was  the  first  synod  or  council  of 
which  we  have  any  account  in  the  history  of  the  Christian  Church.  It 
is  to  be  noticed  that  a  company  of  presbyters  or  elders  shared  with  the 
Apostles  their  responsibilities,  and  took  part  in  the  deliberations. 
Most  of  the  more  distinguished  and  best  known  teachers  of  early 
Christianity  were  present.  Peter,  the  leader  of  the  little  Church  of  the 
first  days;  John,  the  friend  of  Christ,  who  probably  survived  all  his 
brother  Apostles  ;  James,  *  the  Lord's  brother,'  the  chief  of  the  ascetic 
party  in  the  early  Church  ;  Paul  and  Barnabas,  the  advocates  for  a 
broad  Gentile  Church,  liberated  from  Jewish  restraints  and  rites ; 
Titus,  the  famous  pupil  of  Paul :  Silas,  another  of  Paul's  trusted  coun- 
sellors ;  and  Judas, — these  we  know  were  there. 

Ver.  7.  When  there  had  been  much  questioning.  The 
assembly  contained  earnest  advocates,  both  of  the  old  Jewish  party  and 
the  new  Gentile  school  of  Christians.  *  An  exciting  discussion  was  in- 
evitable. The  whole  relation  of  the  Law  to  the  Gospel,  of  Moses  to  the 
Messiah,  was  under  debate.  Paul  was  thrown  on  the  defensive,  but 
wise  counsels  prevailed.  Peter  could  not  forget  his  experience  on  the 
house-top  at  Joppa,  and  in  the  house  of  Cornelius.  He  boldly  pro- 
tested against  the  narrow  views  of  the  Pharisaic  party,  and  shewed  his 
deep  understanding  of  the  Gospel  by  saying  that  Jew  as  well  as  Gen- 
tile was  saved  by  grace  alone.  James  also,  though  less  boldly,  espoused 
the  same  side,  and  advised  that  the  Gentile  converts  should  not  be  called 
upon  to  conform  to  the  customs  of  Moses. — Peter  rose  up,  and  said 
unto  them.  Only  those  speeches  are  reported  which  closed  the  debate. 
Peter's  words,  of  course,  were  exceedingly  weighty,  as  the  deliberate 
expression  of  opinion  of  one  who,  from  the  first,  had  occupied  a  lead- 
ing position  among  the  brethren.  *  As  he  spoke  he  must  have  recalled 
very  vividly  how  he  had  himself  been  called  to  account  by  them  "  of 
the  uncircumcision "  at  Jerusalem  for  holding  intercourse  with  Cor- 
nelius, who  was  uncircumcised,  and  for  baptizing  him  (Acts  11:  2.) — 
A  good  while  ago.  Better  rendered  '  from  early  days,'  as  in  the 
margin.     Peter's  reminder  was  a  grave  rebuk*  to  the  Pharisee  party, 


212  ACTS  XV.  [15:  8-10. 

Brethren,  ye  know  how  that  '  a  good  while  ago  God 
made  choice  among  you,  that  by  my  mouth  the  Gentiles 

8  should  hear  the  word  of  the  gospel,  and  believe.  And 
God,  which  knoweth  the  heart,  bare  them  witness, 
giving  them  the  Holy  Ghost,  even  as  he  did  unto  us ; 

9  and  he  made  no  distinction  between  us  and  them,  clean- 
10  sing  their  hearts  by  faith.     Now  therefore  why  tempt 

1  Gr.  from  early  days. 

who  probably  had  forgotten  the  case  of  Cornelius,  which  had  taken 
place  eight  or  ten  years  before,  and  to  which  the  Apostle  now  referred. 
■5^ The  fact  that  it  was  from  Petpr's  own  mouth  that  the  Gentiles  heard 
the  Gospel  made  the  case  much  stronger.  He  again  makes  the  out- 
pouring of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  Cornelius  a  prominent  feature  in  his 
address,  just  as  he  had  before  done  in  his  narrative  at  Jerusalem  (Acts 
11:17). 

Ver.  9.  Made  no  distinction  between  us  and  them.  He 
no  longer  made  any  distinction  between  the  Pagans  who  were  converted 
and  believed  in  Jesus,  and  the  believing  Israelite,  after  he  had  once 
purified  their  hearts  by  faith.  The  words  here  plainly  allude  to  the 
conversion  of  Cornelius  (Acts  10 :  15) ;  'What  God  hath  cleansed,  make 
not  thou  common.'  — Cleansing  their  hearts  by  faith.  The  Jews 
held  that  the  heathen  were  unclean  so  long  as  they  were  uncircum- 
cised ;  but  Peter  showed  them  that  God,  by  bestowing  Wis  glorious 
blessing  upon  uncircumcised  believing  Gentiles  as  fully  and  freely  as  He 
had  done  upon  ciraimcised  believing  Jews,  had  ruled  that  faith  was  the 
true  circumcision,  the  only  real  means   of  purification. 

Ver.  10.  ^Put  a  yoke  upon  the  neck  of  the  disciples. 
The  reference  is,  of  course,  to  circumcision  and  the  rites  of  the  Mosaic 
Law.  Peter  here  uses  very  strong  language,  and  we  are  reminded  of 
Christ's  denunciations  of  the  'heavy  burdens'  (Matt. -23:  4)  which  the 
Pharisees  imposed.  Paul  uses  similar  language  to  this  of  Peter  when  he 
speaks  of  the  'yoke  of  bondage'  (Gal.  5:1).  In  contrast  to  this  very 
heavy  yoke  of  the  Law,  Christ  offers  a  yoke  which  is  easy  (Mat.  11 :  29). 
Neither  our  fathers  nor  we  were  able  to  bear.  Peter's  words 
are  not  a  complaint  against  God  as  asevere  Master,  but  are  a  confession 
of  man's  weakness.  His  appeal  has  been  well  paraphrased:  'Men 
and  brethren,  speak  the  truth,  and  candidly  tell  me,  h&\ei/ou  kept  the 
Law?'  '  When  oxen,'  wrote  Luther,  '  have  long  borne  the  yoke,  and 
dragged  heavy  weights,  all  they  can  earn  by  iheir  work  except  their 
daily  food,  is  to  be  struck  on  the  head  and  be  butchered  :  such  is  the 
experience  of  those  who  hope  to  be  justified  by  the  Law.  They  are 
taken  captive  and  burdened  by  a  heavy  yoke,  and  then  after  they  have 
long  and  painfully  labored  to  do  the  works  of  the  Law,  all  that  they 
finally  earn  is  to  remain  eternally  poor  and  wretched  servants.' 


15 :  11-13.]  ACTS  XV.  213 

ye  God,  that  ye  should  put  a  yoke  upon  the  neck  of  the 
disciples,  which  neither  our  fathers  nor  we  were  able  to 

11  bear  ?  But  we  believe  that  we  shall  be  saved  through 
the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  like  manner  as  they. 

12  And  all  the 'multitude  kept  silence;  and  they  heark- 
ened unto  Barnabas  and  Paul  rehearsing  what  signs 
and   wonders  God  wrought  among  the  Gentiles    by 

13  them.  And  after  they  had  held  their  peace,  James 
answered,  saying, 

Ver.  11.  We  shall  be  saved  through  the  grace  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  in  like  manner  as  they.  The  believing  Jew,  who 
has  tried  to  keep  the  Law  and  failed,  will  be  saved  like  the  Gentile 
through  the  blood  of  Jesus.  *The  emphasis  is  on  the  word  grace. 
It  remained  for  Paul  to  elaborate  and  emphasize  the  great  doctrine 
of  salvation  by  grace.  But  Peter  here  stated  the  principle,  concisely 
and  fully.  The  works  of  the  Law  would  not  save  a  Jew.  God's  free 
grace  in  Christ  did  what  the  Law,  which  was  weak  through  the  flesh, 
could  not  do  (Rom.  8:1;  Gal.  2  :   16). 

Ver.  18.  James  answered.  The  discussion  was  closed  by  a 
famous  character  in  the  early  Church.  James,  'the  Lord's  brother' 
(see  Gal.  1  :  19 ;  and  2  :  9).  He  wrote  the  epistle  which  bears  his 
name,  and  is  generally  supposed  to  have  presided  over  this  early 
Council.  He  occupied  a  peculiar  position  of  authority  among  the 
Christians  of  Jerusalem  and  seems  to  have  been,  if  .  ot  astern  ascetic, 
at  least  a  rigid  observer  of  the  Mosaic  ritual  and  Law.  It  has  b»  en 
happily  remarked  by  Dr.  Schafi"  {Hist,  of  the  Apost.  Church),  that  '  the 
influence  of  James  was  altogether  necessary.  He,  if  any,  could  gain 
the  ancient  chosen  nation  in  a  body.  God  placed  such  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  purest  form  of  Old  Testament  piety  in  the  midst  of 
the  Jews  to  make  their  transition  to  the  faith  of  the  Messiah  as 
easy  as  possible,  even  at  the  eleventh  hour.  But  when  they  refused 
to  hear  this  last  messenger  of  peace,  the  divine  forbearance  was  ex- 
hausted, and  the  fearful,  long-threatened  judgment  broke  upon  them. 
He  was  not  to  outlive  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  Temple. 
Shortly  before  it  (according  to  Hegesippus^,  in  the  year  69,  after  hav- 
ing borne  powerful  testimony  to  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus,  he  was 
thrown  down  from  the  pinnacle  of  the  Temple  and  stoned  by  the 
Pharisees.'  *  James  was  one  of  the  Lord's  brothers  (Mark  6  :  3,)  etc., 
and  seems  not  to  have  believed  on  Christ  until  after  the  resurrection, 
when  Jesus  appeared  openly  to  him  (1  Cor.  15:  7).  He  is  spoken 
of  as  an  apostle  perhaps  once  in  the  N.  T.  (Gal.  1  :  19) ;  but  Paul  calls 
him  a  '  pillar '  of  the  Church  (Gal.  2  :  9).  At  a  later  period  Eusebius, 
Jerome  and  others  spoke  of  Paul  as  the  thirteenth,  and  James  as  the 
fourteenth  apostle.     It  is  evident  that  he  occupied  a  foremost  place  in 


214  ACTS  XV.  [15;  14. 

Chapter  15:  14-21. 
The  Address  of  James, 
14     Brethren,  hearken  unto  me :  Symeon  hath  rehearsed 
how  first  God  did  visit  the  Gentiles,  to  take  out  of 

the  church  at  Jerusalem  (Acts  12:  17),  and  did  so  as  it  is  probable, 
on  account  of  his  close  relation  to  Christ,  and  as  the  representative  of 
the  conservative  Jewish  party  in  the  Church.  In  his  epistle  he  con- 
trasts the  Gospel  and  the  Law  of  Moses,  but  nevertheless  regards  the 
Gospel  fi'om  a  legal  aspect,  and  calls  it  '  the  perfect  law  of  liberty ' 
(James  1 :  25).  In  after  times  he  was  called  '  the  Just'  with  reference 
to  his  conservative  Jewish  notions,  and  the  Jewish  Christians  took 
him  for  their  patron.  He  made  the  closing  address  at  the  council, 
and  his  advice  was  followed. 

The  Address  of  James,  vers.  14-21. 
Vers.  14.  Brethren,  hearken  unto  me.  In  bringing  the  dis- 
cussion to  a  close,  James  pointed  out  that  Simon  Peter  had  related 
how  God  had  signified  his  good  pleasure  in  regard  to  the  Gentiles, 
and  this  determination  of  the  Most  High  agreed  with  the  words  of  the 
prophets — as,  for  instance,  with  Amos,  who  wrote  of  the  ultimate 
calling  home  of  the  Gentiles.  He  therefore  counselled,  as  president 
of  the  council,  that  these  strangers  ought  not  to  be  troubled  with  the 
burdens  of  the  Mosaic  Law,  and  at  the  same  time  recommended  a  few 
general  restrictive  rules  of  life,  which  these  Gentiles  might  honestly 
observe  without  breaking  oif  or  even  endangering  their  relations  with 
the  world  in  which  they  lived  and  worked. — Symeon  hath  re- 
hearsed. The  Jewish  form  of  the  name  Simon,  the  original  name  of 
Peter,  which  was  familiar  to  the  church  of  Jerusalem  (Luke  24 :  34). 
Tliis  is  the  last  mention  of  Peter  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  *  Little 
more  is  known  of  his  life  from  the  page  of  Scripture.  The  abrupt 
dropping  of  his  name  and  the  record  of  his  life  in  the  Acts  is  due  not 
to  the  fact  that  he  did  not  continue  to  labor,  but  to  the  fact  that  the 
labors  of  Paul  were  more  important  for  the  extension  of  the  Gospel. 
He  was  the  most  prominent  of  the  Apostles  after  the  ascension  for  a 
number  of  years,  but  he  disappears  more  and  more  in  the  background 
after  Paul's  appeal ance,  the  great  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  Peter 
continued  his  work  and  preached  even  in  Babylon  (if  that  term  is  not 
to  be  explained  figuratively),  where  there  was  a  colony  of  Jews,  from 
which  the  great  rabbi  Hillel  had  come.  A  party  in  the  Church  was 
called  after  him  (1  Cor.  1 :  12).  He  was  man-ied  (1  Cor.  9:  5),  and 
by  the  concurrent  testimony  of  early  Christian  authors,  gave  to  Mark 
the  facts  of  his  Gospel.  He  has  left  behind  him  two  epistles,  the  first 
of  which  breathes  an  ardent  spirit  of  devotion  to  the  Master.  The 
Roman  Catholic  Church  regards  Peter  as  the  first  bishop  of  Rome,  and 
places  the  time  of  his  residence  there  at  twenty-five  years.  Both  of 
these  tenets  are  in  conflict  with  facts.     Paul  never  mentions  him  in  his 


15:  15-17.]  ACTS  XV.  215 

15  them  a  people  for  his  name.     And  to  this  agree  the 
words  of  the  prophets ;  as  it  is  written, 

16  After  these  things  I  Avill  return, 

And  I  will  build  again  the  tabernacle  of  David, 

which  is  fallen ; 
And  I  will  build  again  the  ruins  thereof, 
And  I  will  set  it  up  : 

17  That  the  residue  of  men  may  seek  after  the  Lord, 
And  all  the  Gentiles,  upon  whom  my  name  is  called, 

Epistle  to  the  Romans,  which  it  is  likely  he  would  have  done  if  Peter 
had  been  in  Rome,  nor  was  it  Paul's  custom  to  build  a  church  on  an- 
other man's  foundation.  It  is  likely,  however,  that  Peter  spent  the 
last  year  of  his  life  in  Rome,  and  it  was  the  universal  belief  in  the 
ancient  Church  that  he  died  a  martyr  there,  according  to  the  Lord's 
prediction  (John  21 :  18,  19).  So  Clement  of  Rome  (ab.  96)  and 
others.  He  was  crucifi.ed,  and  is  reported  to  have  died  with  his  head 
downward.  Ambrose  tells  an  incident  which,  if  not  true,  is  yet 
beautiful,  and  in  accord  with  the  character  of  Peter  as  depicted  in  the 
Gospels.  When  the  persecution  began  in  Rome,  Peter  fled.  But 
when  he  arrived  at  the  gate  of  the  city  he  met  the  Lord,  and  said, 
'  Lord,  whither  goest  thou  ? '  '  I  go  to  Rome '  was  the  answer,  '  there 
once  more  to  be  crucified.'     Peter  took  the  rebuke,  returned  and  died. 

Ver.  15.  To  this  agree  the  words  of  the  prophets.  After 
referring  here  to  the  work  of  God  instanced  by  Peter,  James  now 
shows  how  completely  the  word  of  God  in  the  writings  of  the  prophets 
agreed  with  this  work.  The  signs  and  w  onders  which  accompanied 
the  conversion  of  Cornelius,  and  subsequently  crowned  the  missionary 
labors  of  Paul  and  Barnabas,  were  only  the  divine  seal  of  a  great  work 
long  before  foretold  in  the  Hebrew  prophecies. 

Ver.  16.  I  will  build  again  the  tabernacle  of  David. 
This  Amos  prophecy  speaks  first  of  the  fall  of  the  Jewish  Church ;  it 
next  conveys  the  promise  that  God  will  build  a  new  Church  on  the 
ruins  of  the  old,  and  gather  together  in  it  all  the  Gentiles.  It  lastly 
sets  forth  that  this  Church  shall  receive  salvation  only  through  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  which  should  be  called  upon  by  it,  that  is,  on  which 
it  would  believe.  Wordsworth  remarks  here  that  Amos  declares  in 
these  words  '  that  the  true  restoration  of  the  tabernacle  of  David  is  to 
be  found  in  the  reception  of  the  residue  of  the  human  family,  and  in 
the  flowing  in  of  all  nations  into  the  Church  of  Christ.' 

Ver.  17.  That  the  residue  of  men  may  seek  after  the 
Lord,  etc.  This  quotation  from  Amos  9  :  11,  12,  is  made  freely  from 
the  Septuagint,  or  Greek  translation,  which  diff"ers  considerably  from 
the  Hebrew  text  as  we  now  possess  it.  The  main  difference  is  in  the 
quotation  contained  in  this  verse,  where,  instead  of  the  words  '  that 


216  ACTS  XV,  [15:  18-21. 

18  Saith  the  Lord,  ^who  maketh  these  things  known 

from  the  besrinnino;  of  the  world.* 

19  Wherefore  my  judgement  is,  that  we  trouble  not  them 

20  which  from  among  the  Gentiles  turn  to  God ;  but  that 
we  ^ write  unto  them,  that  they  abstain  from  the  pol- 
lutions of  idols,  and  from  fornication,  and  from  what 

21  is  strangled,  and  from  blood.     For  Moses  from  gene- 

1  Or,  wlio  doeth  these  tilings  which  were  kw wn.  -  Or,  enjoin  thtm. 

*  For,  'from  the  beginning  of  the  world'  lead    from  of  old.' — Am.  Com. 

tlie  residue  of  men  may  seek  after  the  Lord,  and  all  the  Gentiles  upon 
whom  my  name  is  called,'  the  Hebrew  has,  '  that  they  might  possess 
the  remnant  of  Edom,  and  of  all  the  Gentiles  that  are  called  by  my 
name.'  The  Septuagint  here,  as  not  unfrequently,  gives  a  paraphrase 
rather  than  a  literal  translation  of  the  original,  and  regards  '  Edom ' 
(a  common  Rabbinical  idea)  as  a  general  representative  of  those  who 
were  strangers  to  the  God  of  Israel.  No  doubt  the  Septuagint  was 
quoted  by  James  on  account  of  the  many  foreign  Jews  present  at  the 
council ;  these  would  be  familiar  with  the  Greek  Scriptures,  not  with 
the  original  Hebrew.  These  grand  words  of  Amos  were  cited  as 
foretelling  the  future  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  and  at  the  same  time  as 
containing  no  mention  of  circumcision  as  a  permanent  rule  (Hackett).  In 
the  repeated  intimations  by  the  Hebrew  prophets  that  the  Messiah 
should  arise  and  gather  into  one  fold  Gentile  as  well  as  Jew,  the 
Mosaic  ceremonial  law  is  ignored. 

Ver.  18.  *  These  things  known  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world.  The  restoration  of  the  tabernacle  of  David  and  the  con- 
version of  the  Gentiles.  These  things  were  in  God's  mind  from  the 
very  beginning.  They  were  not  novelties  of  human  invention.  God 
did  not  design  circumcision  to  be  always  observed,  for  at  the  time  of 
giving  the  command  of  circumcision  (Gen.  17),  God  had  promised  the 
conversion  of  the  Gentiles  (Bengel). 

Ver.  19.  That  we  trouble  not  them,  viz.,  by  imposing  upon 
them  burdensome  rites  and  ceremonies. 

Ver.  20.  But  that  we  write  unto  them,  that  they  ab- 
stain, etc.  On  the  full  meaning  of  these  famous  injunctions,  see 
Excursus  B  at  the  end  of  the  chapter,  where  they  are  discussed  at 
length. 

Ver.  21.  Moses  from  generations  of  old  hath  in  every 
city  them  that  preach  him.  This  was  actually  the  case  at  that 
time  in  the  Roman  empire.  There  were  colonies  of  Jews  in  all  im- 
portant cities  in  the  East  and  West,  and  in  each  of  these  one  or  more 
synagogues  existed,  where  the  Law  of  Moses  was  read.  ♦There  have 
been  different  views  of  the  meaning  of  this  difficult  verse.  Some 
think  that  James  here  answers  an  objection  that  the  Jewish  Christians 
might  advance,  namely,  that  if  such  freedom  were  granted  to  the  Gen- 


15:  21.]  ACTS  XV.  217 

rations  of  old  hath   in  every  city  them  that  preach 
him,  being  read  in  the  synagogues  every  sabbath. 

tiles,  the  Mosaic  Law  would  decline  in  authority  and  respect  (Lange). 
Others  regard  the  meaning  to  be,  *  It  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  write 
these  things  to  the  Jewish  Christians,  for  they  have  the  Law  of  Moses 
(Chrysostom,  Xeander,  Plumptre).  A  third  and  the  best  view  regards 
these  words  as  spoken  in  the  interest  of  peace  and  harmony  between 
the  Gentile  and  .Jewish  Christians.  The  latter,  who  listened  to  the 
four  injunctions  from  time  to  time  out  of  the  books  of  Moses,  would 
not  be  able  to  tolerate  the  corresponding  evil  practices  amongst  Gentile 
Christians  (Calvin,  Meyer,  Hackett). 

*  Peactical  Notes  ox  vers.  1-21. — The  early  Church  was  not  free  from  errors  and 
controversies.  Me  are  apt  (o  imagine  that  there  was  perfect  peace  and  harmony 
among  the  brethren  in  Apostolic  times,  and  that  the  Apostles  agreed  perfectly  in 
opinion.  This  was  not  the  case.  There  were  diversities  of  judgment  and  grave  dis- 
sensions. God  perfected  wisdom  out  of  human  ignorance,  and  strength  out  of  human 
weakness. — At  certain  epochs  great  Gospel  truths  have  been  forged  for  all  after  ages. 
It  was  so  with  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  in  the  fourth  century,  and  with  that  of  jus- 
tification by  faith  in  the  time  of  the  Reformation.  So  in  the  Apostolic  period  the 
great  question  was  the  relation  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Law  of  Moses.  "Was  the  world 
to  become  Mosaic  before  becoming  Christian? — The  Gospel  fulfills  and  abrogates  the 
Law.  Christ  was  the  one  to  whom  all  the  types  and  sacrifices  of  the  Law  pointed. 
But  all  the  ritual  of  Moses  was  a  matter  of  indifference  after  the  cross  had  been 
erected  on  Calvary.  It  was  no  longer  necessary  to  prepare  men's  minds  for  the  com- 
ing of  Christ,  and  to  ins'.il  deep  thoughts  of  human  sinfulness  and  God's  holiness. 
'  When  that  which  is  perfect  is  come,  that  which  is  in  part  shall  be  done  away '  (1  Cor. 
1.3 :  10).  To  carry  the  rites  of  the  0.  T.  over  to  the  Christian  Church  was  like  carry- 
ing heavy  winter  cloaks  into  a  room  heated  with  bright  fires.  Those  are  apt  to  be  assailed 
who  are  most  successful.  Paul  and  Barnabas  had  been  blessed  in  their  work.  God 
prepared  them  by  His  blessings  to  sustain  the  attacks  of  the  enemies  of  a  free  Gospel 
and  the  advocates  of  the  narrow  Jewish  spirit. — The  Law  is  a  yoke  (ver.  10).  It 
commands  and  binds  burdens  upon  men's  backs.  The  Gospel  means  liberty.  It 
emancipates  from  the  bondage  of  sin  and  death  — Faith  cleanses  the  heart  (ver.  9). 
The  Mosaic  wasliings  cleansed  the  body.  Faith  chases  away  evil  thoughts  and  affec- 
tions by  drawing  from  hfaven  pure  motives  and  holy  thoughts.  The  more  faith,  the 
nearer  heaven  and  heavenly.— Salvation  through  grace  (ver.  11)  is  the  central  thought" 
in  the  Gospel.  None  are  too  good  not  to  need  the  saving  power  of  grace,  none  are  too 
wicked  to  be  beyond  its  reach.  '"We  cannot'  said  Luther,  'abandon  this  truth  nor 
make  any  concession  from  it,  although  heaven,  earth,  and  all  things  else  should  fall.' 
Grace  was  the  only  hope  of  the  .Jew,  for  the  Law  proved  him  a  sinner,  and  d:"d  not 
justify,  and  it  was  also  the  only  hope  of  the  Gentile  —The  facts  of  religions  ex- 
perience are  the  best  answer  to  objections  to  the  Gospel.  The  wonderful  mercies  of 
God,  and  the  great  things  which  He  had  done  in  Asia  Minot-  and  Antioch,  were  clear 
evidences  to  Paul  and  Barnabas  that  God  was  with  them.  The  council  couM  not  deny 
these  things.  To  have  denied  salvation  to  the  Gentiles,  who,  though  they  were  uncir- 
cumcised,  yet  believed,  would  have  beeulo  fight  against  God. 


218  ACTS  XV.  [15 :  22-24. 

Chaptek  15:  22-29. 
The  Decision  of  the  Council. 

22  Then  it  seemed  good  to  the  apostles  and  the  elders, 
with  the  whole  church,  to  choose  men  out  of  their 
company,  and  send  them  to  Antioch  with  Paul  and 
Barnabas ;  namely,  Judas  called  Barsabbas,  and  Silas, 

23  chief  men  among  the  brethren :  and  they  wrote  thus 
by  them,  The  apostles  and  the  elder  brethren*  unto 
the  brethren  which  are  of  the  Gentiles  in  Antioch  and 

24  Syria  and  Cilicia,  greeting :  Forasmuch  as  we  have 
heard  that  certain  hvhich  went  out  from  us  have 
troubled  you  Avith  words,  subverting  your  souls;  to 

*  For  'The  apostles  and  the  elder  brethren'  read  'The  apostles  and  the  elders, 
brethren,'  and  put  the  present  text  into  the  marg. — Am.  Com. 
1  Some  ancient  authorities  omit  which  went  out. 

The  Decision  of  the  Council^  vers.  22-29. 

Ver.  22.  ♦"With  the  whole  church.  It  would  seem  from  this 
that  the  laity  voted  upon  the  question.  We  have  here  a  warrant  for 
the  representation  of  the  laity  in  Church  synods. — Judas  called 
Barsabbas.  Some  have  supposed  this  envoy  of  the  Jerusalem 
church  was  a  brother  of  that  Joseph-Barsabbas  who,  with  ]\Iatthias, 
had  been  a  candidate  for  the  apostleship  (Acts  1 :  23),  both  being 
presumably  sons  of  one  Sabbas  [bar  being  the  Hebrew  for  son). 
Nothing,  however,  is  definitely  known  concerning  him,  except  that  in 
the  early  Church  he  held  the  rank  of  a  'prophet'  (see  note  on  ver. 
32). —  Silas.  The  same  as  Silvanus,  well  known  in  after  years  as  the 
fellow-missionary  and  friend  of  Paul  (1  Thess.  1:1;  2  Cor.  1:  19). 
It  is  probable  that  he  was  identical  with  that  Silvanus  by  whom  the 
First  Epistle  of  Peter  was  carried  to  the  churches  of  Asia.  He  accom- 
panied Paul  on  his  second  missionary  journey  (Acts  15:  40),  and 
shared  in  his  imprisonment  at  Philippi  (Acts  16:  25).  The  Gen- 
tiles in  Antioch  and  Syria  and  Cilicia.  This  geographical 
notice  of  the  peoples  specially  mentioned  in  the  decree  of  the  council 
gives  us  some  idea  how  widely  the  preaching  of  Paul  and  his  com- 
panions had  extended,  and  how  great  had  been  the  harvest  of  the 
Lord  already  in  those  days.  The  mention  of  Syria  here  gives  us  an 
insight  into  the  activity  of  the  missionary  enterprise  of  the  Antioch 
Christians.  Successful  missions  had  been  carried  on  through  that 
great  and  rich  province,  of  which  we  have  no  record  in  the  Acts.  In 
Cilicia,  too,  the  native  country  of  Paul,  congregations  of  believers  had 
sprung  up,  and  apparently  were  already  flourishing  communities. 

Ver.  24.     Forasmuch  as  we  have  heard,  etc.     These  zealots 


15:  25-28.]  ACTS  XV.  219 

25  whom  we  gave  no  commandment;  it  seemed  good  unto 
us,  having  come  to  one  accord,  to  choose  out  men  and 
send  them  unto  you   with  our  beloved  Barnabas  and 

26  Paul,  men  that  have  hazarded  their  lives  for  the  name 

27  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  We  have  sent  therefore 
Judas  and  Silas,  who  themselves  also  shall  tell  you  the 

28  same  things  by  word  of  mouth.  For  it  seemed  good  to 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  us,  to  lay  upon  you  no  greater 

for  the  Jewish  rites  came  from  Jerusalem,  and  had  given  out  that  they 
were  commissioned  by  the  leaders  of  the  church  there.  Now  the  as- 
sembled council,  in  their  authoritative  decree  which  they  sent  round, 
openly  disavowed  these  disturbers  of  the  Gentile  churches. 

Ver.  25.  Our  beloved  Bainabas  and  Paul.  The  order  of  the 
names  is  that  which  was  used  before  Paul's  first  missionary  journey, 
when  he  became  the  more  prominent  of  the  two  (11 :  30  ;  13  :  2).  It 
is  an  indirect  testimony  to  the  scrupulous  accuracy  of  the  writer  of  the 
Acts  ;  Barnabas  in  this  oflBcial  letter  standing  before  Paul,  because  Paul 
had  spent  but  little  time  in  Jerusalem,  whilst  Bai'nabas  among  the 
Christians  there  had  long  been  a  known  and  honored  leader. 

Ver.  26  Have  hazarded  their  lives,  etc.  It  is  well  said  by 
Wordsworth,  that  '  the  first  Christians  were  not  wont  to  praise  eaeh 
other  in  public,  but  that  on  the  present  occasion  such  a  witness,  espe- 
cially to  Paul,  was  seasonable  and  appropriate  It  was  a  public  de- 
claration that  Paul's  claims  to  divine  revelations  and  to  an  apostolic 
mission  were  true,  and  that  there  was  no  difference  of  opinion  or  dis- 
parity between  him  and  the  Twelve,  who  had  seen  the  Lord  on  earth.' 
These  noble  men  were  martyrs  in  will,  though  their  lives  had  not  yet 
been  laid  down. 

Ver.  27.  We  have  sent  therefore  Judas  and  Silas.  These 
two  well-known  men  were  to  testify  to  the  genuineness  of  the  letter ; 
by  this  means  the  Antioch  Christians  would  have  oral  as  well  as  writ- 
ten testimony.  '  These  noble  envoys,'  Stier  says,  '  would  certify  that 
the  letter  had  actually  proceeded  from  a  unanimous  resolve  of  the 
Church  at  Jerusalem,  and  that  Barnabas  and  Saul  were  thus  honored 
and  beloved  there  ;  they  would  give  fuller  information  respecting  the 
decrees,  and  answer  every  inquiry  that  might  be  made,  as  living 
epistles  confirmed  by  the  letter,  and  confirming  it  in  return ;  and  thus 
by  their  word  they  should  restore  again  the  harmony  which  those  un- 
sent  members  of  their  church  had  disturbed. 

Ver.  28.  It  seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  us. 
The  members  of  the  council  were  merely  the  agents  carrying  out  what 
the  Spirit  suggested.  '  The  decrees  of  the  Council  of  Jerusalem  were 
not,  as  the  canons  of  other  ecclesiastical  assemblies,  human,  but  very 
divine  ordinances  :  for  which  cause  the  churches  were  far  and  wide 


220  ACTS  XV.  [15:  29-31. 

29  burden  than  these  necessary  things ;  that  ye  abstain 
from  things  sacrificed  to  idols,  and  from  blood,  and 
from  things  strangled,  and  from  fornication;  from 
which  if  ye  keep  yourselves,  it  shall  be  well  with  you. 
Fare  ye  well. 

Chapter  15:  30-35. 

Arrival  of  the  Delegation  in  Antioch. 

30  So  they,  when  they  were  dismissed,  came  down  to 
Antioch,  and  having  gathered  the  multitude  together, 

31  they  delivered  the  epistle.     And  when  they  had  read 

commanded  everywhere  to  see  them  kept  no  otherwise  than  if  Christ 
himself  had. personally  on  earth  been  the  author  of  them.  The  cause 
why  that  council  was  of  so  great  authority  and  credit  above  all  others 
which  have  been  held  since  thtn,  is  expressed  in  the  words,  "  To  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  to  us  hath  it  seemed  good."  ....  Wherefore,  inasmuch 
as  the  Council  of  Jerusalem  did  chance  to  consist  of  men  so  enlight- 
tened,  it  had  authority  greater  than  were  meet  for  any  other  council 
besides  to  challenge,  wherein  no  such  persons  are '  (Hooker,  Eccles. 
roUty,  Book  viii.  chap,  vi.) 

Ver.  29.  Things  sacrificed  to  idols.  The  articles  in  the  letter 
of  the  council  are  identical  with  the  points  mentioned  by  James  in  his 
speech.  They  are  discussed  in  Excursus  B.  —  Fare  ye  "well.  This 
was  the  customary  conclusion  to  letters  among  the  Greeks. 

Arrival  of  the  Delegation  in  Antioch,  vers.  80-35. 

Ver.  30.  "When  they  were  dismissed.  These  words  simply 
implied  a  formal  and  solemn  leave-taking  on  the  part  of  the  Jerusalem 
church,  accompanied  with  certain  religious  ceremonies. — ♦Epistle. 
This  is  the  first  occurrence  of  the  English  word  in  the  N.  T.  The  same 
Greek  word  [epistole)  occurs  in  Acts  9  :  2,  where  it  is  translated  some- 
what inconsistently  'letters.'  This  document  from  the  Church  at  Je- 
rusalem is  the  only  one  preserved  as  coming  from  a  Church  Council 
or  sent  from  the  Church  as  a  body.  But  the  word  'epistle'  has  become 
indissolubly  associated  with  the  documents  of  the  N.  T.  written  by  Paul, 
Peter,  John  and  James,  and  containing  apostolic  doctrine  and  exhort- 
ation. 

Ver.  31.  They  rejoiced  for  the  consolation.  Not  merely 
that  a  dispute  which  threatened  such  grave  consequences  was  so  hap- 
pily terminated,  but  because  the  Church  had  ruled  that  the  Gentiles, 
if  they  accepted  Christianity,  were  not  to  be  subjected  to  the  painful 
yoke  of  the  Mosaic  ritual  and  ordinances.  An  insuperable  barrier  was 
thus  removed  from  the  world-wide  extension  of  the  Church. 


15 :  32-35.]  ACTS  XV.  221 

32  it,  they  rejoiced  for  the  ^consolation.  And  Judas  and 
Silas,  being  themselves  also  prophets,  ^exhorted  the 

33  brethren  with  many  words,  and  confirmed  them.  And 
after  they  had  spent  some  time  there,  they  were  dis- 
missed in  peace  from  the  brethren  unto  those  that  had 

35  sent  them  forth.^  But  Paul  and  Barnabas  tarried  in 
Antioch,  teaching  and  preaching  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
with  many  others  also. 

1  Or,  exhortation.  2  Or,  comforted.  3  Some  ancient  authorities  assert  with 

variations,  ver.  S4.     Bvi  it  setmei  good  unto  Silas  to  abide  there. 

Ver.  32.  Judas  and  Silas,  being  prophets.  In  tbe  early 
Church  this  class  of  men  existed,  who  are  mentioned  in  the  writings  of 
the  New  Testament.  'Their  voices  smote  the  air,  and  did  their  work, 
and  died  away,  and  we  catch  but  the  faintest  echoes  of  them.  Their 
words  were  written  on  the  sand,  and  the  advancing  waves  of  time 
have  washed  away  all  or  nearW  all  the  traces  of  what  was  once  as 
awful  as  the  handwriting  on  the  wall '  (Plumptre).  Prophecy  was  no 
mere  power  of  foretelling  future  events,  although  the  prophets  did  fre- 
quently predict  future  occurrences  (Acts  11  :  27-30  ;  20:  23  ;  21  :  4) ; 
but  from  the  general  tenor  of  the  New  Testament  writings,  this  pro- 
phetic gift  was  apparently  little  exercised  by  these  servants  of  the 
Lord.*  According  to  the  representation  of  Paul  in  1  Cor.  14  :  3,  4,  22— 
25,  31,  "it  showed  itself  in  awakening  and  comforting  discourses, 
by  which  persons  present  at  public  worship  were  powerfully  impressed, 
rebuked,  and  called  to  repentance,  and  believers  were  strengthened, 
and  animated  anew'  (Schaff,  Apost.  Clnirch,  ii :  153). 

Ver.  33.  They  were  dismissed  in  peace.  A  formula  cus- 
tomary at  parting  (Mark  5:  34;  Luke  7  :  50;  8:  48;  Acts  16:  36). 
Judas  and  Silas,  it  would  seem,  returned  to  Jerusalem  to  give  account 
of  their  mission.  The  latter,  however,  soon  returned  to  Antioch,  where 
Paul  and  Barnabas  had  continued  to  labor.  *  Verse  34,  which  read, 
'  Notwithstanding  it  pleased  Silas  to  abide  there  still,'  in  the  old  version, 
has  been  omitted  by  the  Revisers  because  it  is  wanting  in  the  older 
Mss.  and  in  many  of  the  chief  versions.  It  was  evidently  a  marginal 
gloss,  inserted  to  explain  how  Silas,  notwithstanding  the  statement  of 
ver.  33,  was  at  hand  (ver.  40)  conveniently  for  Paul  to  choose  him  as 
companion  in  travel. 

Ver.  35.  Paul  and  Barnabas  tarned  in  Antioch.  During 
this  residence  the  dispute  took  place  between  Paul  and  Peter  related 
in  Gal.  2  :  11-16.  Although  the  writer  of  the  Acts  omits  this  episode 
he  relates  the  dispute  between  Paul  and  Barnabas  (ver.  39).  Peter, 
it  seems,  retreated  from  his  position  at  Jerusalem,  and  ignoring  his 
course  with  Cornelius,  refused  to  eat  with  Gentile  Christians.  This 
occurred  on  a  visit  to  Antioch.     Even  Barnabas  was  carried  away  with 


222  ACTS  XV.  [15:  36,37. 

Chapter  15:  36-41. 

PauVs  Separation  from  Barnabas  and  Second  Missionary 
Journey. 

36  And  after  some  days  Paul  said  unto  Barnabas,  Let 
us  return  now  and  visit  the  brethren  in  every  city 
wherein  we  proclaimed  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  see 

37  how  they  fare.      And  Barnabas  was  minded  to  take 

the  dissimulation  of  the  act.  Paul  could  not  remain  an  idle  witness 
of  such  inconsistency,  and  openly  rebuked  Peter.  How  long  the  divi- 
sion lasted  we  know  not,  but  it  is  very  '  pleasant  to  turn  to  a  passage 
at  the  conclusion  of  one  of  Ptter's  letters,  where,  in  speaking  of  the 
long-suifering  of  our  Lord,  and  the  prospect  of  sinless  happiness  in  the 
world  to  come,  he  alludes  in  touching  words  to  the  epistles  of  our  be- 
loved brother  Paul  (2  Peter  3:15).  We  see  how  entirely  past  differ- 
ences are  forgotten,  how  all  earthly  misunderstandings  are  absorbed 
and  lost  in  the  contemplation  of  Christ  and  the  eternal  life.' 

*  Practical  Notes. — There  was  no  trace  of  the  spirit  of  ecclesiastical  hierarchism 
in  the  deliberations  or  in  the  epistle  of  the  Council  of  Jerusalem.  The  '  whole  church ' 
was  assembled  together  with  the  Apostles  and  the  elders,  and  seem  to  have  shared  in 
the  discussions  and  vote.  Peter  did  not  exercise  the  authority  of  a  primate  as  the 
popes  assume  to  do.  James  was  the  most  prominent  and  influential  member  of  the 
council,  and  he  not  only  spoke  the  final  word,  summing  up  the  debate,  but  he  sug- 
gested the  course  which  was  followed. — Though  differences  of  opinion  may  exist  be- 
tween Christians,  a  unity  of  heart  and  love  should  prevail  (ver.  25)  'A  11  ye  are  brethren,' 
said  Christ  (Matt.  23  :  8).  In  matters  that  are  unessential  Christians  may  differ  with- 
out detriment  to  their  faith,  but  they  cannot  afford  to  be  at  discord.  The  members  of 
the  Church  at  Jerusalem  set  a  good' example  in  calling  the  Christians  at  Antioch 
'  brethren.'  They  were  members  one  of  another,  and  acknowledged  after  all  one 
Lord,  into  whose  name  they  had  been  baptized,  and  by  whose  grace  they  were  saved. 
There  may  be  liberty  in  unessentials,  but  brotherly  love  should  prevail  at  all  times. — 
A  spirit  of  conciliation  actuated  this  early  synod  and,  herein  it  has  set  a  good  example. 
Had  this  spirit  prevailed  in  a  larger  measure  in  the  history  of  the  Christian  Church,  there 
would  have  been  less  of  schism,  and  how  much  heated  and  bitter  theological  controversy, 
and  even  wars  would  have  been  averted.  Unfortunately  an  uncompromising  spirit 
has  too  often  prevailed  amongst  Christians  of  different  sects  and  in  ecclesiastical  coun- 
cils, as  most  notably  in  the  notorious,  so-called  Robber  Council  of  Ephesus  (449),  where 
all  dissent  from  the  will  of  the  majority  was  not  only  brutally  checked,  but  even  the 
soldiery  used  to  compel  assent.     , 

PauVs  Separation  from  Barnabas  and  Second  Missionary  Journey, 
vers.  36-41. 

Ver.  37.  Barnabas  was  minded  to  take  with  them  John. 
Barnabas,  no  doubt,  was  influenced  by  the  relation  of  Mark  to  him 
(Col.  4 :  10) ;  still,  his  conduct  on  this  occasion  is  strictly  in  accordance 


15 :  38,  39.]  ACTS  XV.  223 

38  with  them  John  also,  who  was  called  Mark.  But 
Paul  thought  not  good  to  take  with  them  him  who 
withdrew  from  them  from  Pamphvlia,  and  went  not 

39  with  them  to  the  work.  And  there  arose  a  sharp  con- 
tention, so  that  they  parted  asunder  one  from  the  other, 
and  Barnabas  took  Mark  with  him,  and  sailed  away 

with  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  his  life.  This  kindness  of  heart  induced 
him  to  forget  Mark's  former  faint-heartedness,  and  to  welcome  him 
again  as  a  fellow-laborer  in  the  Master's  cause. 

Ver.  38.  Who  withdrew  from  them  from  Pamphylia. 
See  Acts  13  :  13,  where  this  backsliding  of  Mark  is  mentioned.  Some 
have  tried  to  excuse  the  desertion  of  Mark  by  supposing  it  was  on  ac- 
count of  illness  or  weak  health,  or  home-sickness,  but  Paul  would 
never  have  censured  him  so  severely  had  this  really  been  the  cause  of 
his  leaving  them.  No  doubt  the  young  man  shrank  from  the  toils  and 
dangers  of  'ihe  work.'  The  strict  accuracy  of  the  writer  of  the  Acts 
is  shown  by  his  faithful  record  of  the  parting  between  the  two  friends 
Barnabas  and  Paul.  It  was  necessary  for  his  history  of  the  first  be- 
ginnings of  Christianity  to  show  how  the  founders  of  the  Gentile  mis- 
sions first  separated  and  chose  independent  fields  of  labor  ;  therefore, 
in  his  work,  the  writer  does  not  shrink  from  telling  the  story  of  this 
sorrowful  dispute,  Paul  was  perhaps  too  severe,  Barnabas  too  for- 
giving. Both  probably  erred.  But  Mark  was  afterwards  fully  restored 
to  Paul's  confidence. 

Ver,  39.  There  arose  a  sharp  contention.  Neither  would 
yield,  and  each  went  his  own  way.  This  is  the  last  mention  of  the 
generous-hearted  Barnabas  in  the  Acts.  In  the  first  Corinthian  letter 
(9':  6),  Paul  speaks  in  high  terms  of  him  as  of  one  busy  in  the  Master's 
service  (2 Tim. 4:  11;  Col. 4:  10, 11).— Barnabas  took  Mark  with 
him,  and  sailed  aw^ay  unto  Cyprus.  '  If,  as  the  shores  of  Asia 
lessened  upon  his  sight,  the  spirit  of  prophecy  had  entered  into  the 
heart  of  the  weak  disciple,  who  had  turned  back  when  his  hand  was 
on  the  plough  (at  Perga  in  Pamphylia),  and  who  had  been  judged,  by 
the  chiefest  of  Christ's  captains,  unworthy  thenceforward  to  go  forth 
with  him  to  the  work,  how  wonderful  would  he  have  thought  it  that  by 
the  lion  symbol  [the  lion  is  the  sign  of  Mark  as  the  eagle  is  the  sign 
of  John]  in  future  ages  he  was  to  be  represented  among  men  !  How 
woeful,  that  the  war-cry  of  his  name  should  so  often  reanimate  the  rage 
of  the  soldier  [the  soldiers  of  Venice  of  which  Mr.  Buskin  is  speaking. 
St.  Mark's  is  the  principal  cathedral  of  that  city  and  the  sculptured 
lions  in  front  of  it  are  famous]  on  those  very  plains  where  he  himself 
had  failed  in  the  courage  of  the  Christian,  and  so  often  dye  with  fruit- 
less blood  that  very  Cypriot  Sea  over  whose  waves,  in  repentance  and 
shame,  he  was  following  the  Son  of  Consolation  ! '  (Ruskin,  Stones  of 
Venice,  '  The  Sea  Stories,'  chap.  iv.).    Mark  afterwards  met  Paul  in  his 


224  ACTS  XV.  [15:  40,41. 

40  unto  Cyprus ;  but  Paul  chose  Silas,  and  went  forth, 
being  commended  by  the  brethren  to  the  grace  of  the 

41  Lord.     And  he  went  through  Syria  and  Cilicia,  con- 
firming the  churches. 

imprisonment  at  Rome  (Col.  4:  11),  and  was  regarded  by  him  as  a 
faithful  minister  (2  Tim.  4  :  11).  That  he  was  long  the  trusted  friend 
and  secretary  of  Peter  was  the  undisputed  tradition  of  the  early 
Church.  Papias,  writing  very  early  in  the  second  century,  says  : 
'  Mark,  being  the  interpreter  of  Peter,  wrote  down  exactly  whatever 
things  he  remembered,  but  yet  not  in  the  order  which  Christ  either 
spoke  or  did  them,  for  he  was  neither  a  hearer  nor  a  follower  of  the 
Lord's,  but  he  was  afterwards,  as  I  (Papias)  said,  a  foUoiver  of  Peter.'' 
Subsequently,  church  historians  relate  that  Mark  founded  the  church  of 
Alexandria,  and  became  its  bishop,  and  there  endured  a  martyr's  death. 

Ver.  40.  Paul  chose  Silas.  He  stood  high  in  the  opinion  of 
the  Apostles  and  elders  at  Jerusalem  (ver.  22),  and  was  able,  from  his 
own  personal  knowledge,  to  bear  his  testimony  to  the  perfect  accord 
which  reigned  between  Paul  and  the  older  Apostles. — Being  com- 
mended by  the  brethren.  The  feeling  of  the  majority  of  the 
Antioch  Christians  seems  to  have  been  with  Paul. 

Ver.  41.  Through  Syria  and  Cilicia,  confirming  the 
churches.  Nothing  in  detail  is  known  of  the  foundation  and  early 
history  of  these  congregations.  Their  existence,  however,  at  this  early 
period,  testifies  to  the  rapid  spread  of  the  Gospel  during  the  fir.  t  years 
which  followed  the  ascension, 

*  Practical  Notes. — Eminent  saints  are  not  without  their  faults  and  weaknesses. 
Paul  and  Barnaba",  who  had  labored  so  harmoniously  and  been  such  excellent  friends 
(Acts  9:  27,  etc.),  here  differ  in  their  judgment  and  part  asunder.— The  Scriptures  dis- 
close freely  the  infirmities  of  its  spiritual  heroes.  The  noble  confession  of  Peter  is 
recorded  (Matt.  10  :  16  \  but  also  his  denial  of  his  Master  on  the  night  of  the  trial 
(Matt.  26  :  69).  They  relate  the  friendship  of  Paul  and  Barnabas,  but  also  their  dif- 
ferences. This  is  to  remind  us  that  they  were  men  of  like  passions  as  ourselves,  and 
in  need  of  the  atonement  of  Christ.— 'It  is  only  Christ's  copy  that  is  without  a  blot,' 
says  IMatthew  Henry.  He  alone  did  right  under  all  circumstances  and  never  erred.— 
We  must  not  despair  of  a  disciple.  Peter  fell  but  became  a  great  Apostle.  Juhn  Mark 
shrank  from  the  work  in  Pamphylia.  He  was  still  a  young  man,  and  probably  his 
courage  failed  him.  As  he  grew  older  his  faith  and  Christian  courage  increased,  so 
that  he,  too,  and  by  the  confession  of  Paul  himself,  became  an  able  minister  (2  Tim. 
4 :  11)  and  helper  of  the  Apostle.  The  good  intentions  of  the  young  need  to  be  fos- 
tered, and  we  should  guard  against  discouraging  them  by  bearing  too  heavily  upon  their 
shortcomings.    Perhaps  Paul  was  too  severe  in  his  judgment,  Barnabas  too  lenient. 

Excursus  A.  The  Great  Question  which  was  decided  by  the  Council  at 
Jerusalem.— In  the  first  years  which  succeeded  the  ascension,  the  disciples  evidently, 
while  following  out  the  line  of  conduct  traced  for  them  by  their  divine  Teacher,  re- 
mained in  outward  observances  strict  Jews,  and  regarded  the  Mosaic  ritual  as  obligatory 


15:41.]  ACTS  XV.  225 

upon  Gentile  converts.  The  cases  of  the  Ethiopian  treasurer  and  Cornelius  seem  to 
have  been  only  passing  exceptions  to  the  general  rule.  But  the  rise  of  the  church  of 
Antioch,  which  seems  to  have  been  composed  for  the  most  part  of  Gentiles,  and  the 
successful  missionary  efforts  of  Barnabas  and  Paul  in  Asia  Minor,  brought  the  older 
disciples  face  to  face  with  the  great  questions  of  the  relation  of  the  Gentiles  to  the 
Gospel  and  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Mosaic  ritual.  Were  the  observances  of  the  Law  es- 
sential to  the  salvation  of  the  Gospel,  or  was  the  Gospel  just  as  free  to  the  Gentiles  as 
to  the  Jews  ?  In  other  words,  must  the  Gentiles  be  told  if  they  would  become  Cliristians 
they  must  first  become  Jews  ?  The  church  of  Antioch  and  Barnabas  and  Paul  had  al- 
ready practically  answered  the  question  in  the  negative.  Any  one,  Greek,  Eoman,  or 
Asiatic,  might  become  a  partaker  of  the  benefits  of  Christ's  life  by  simple  faith  in  him. 
But  there  were  men  in  the  Jerusalem  church  dwelling  under  the  shadow  of  the  Temple, 
in  daily  contact  with  the  rigid  and  exclusive  Pharisee  party,  to  whom  this  brotherhood 
with  Gentiles,  uncircumcised  and  untaught  in  the  Mosaic  ritual,  was  a  thought  un- 
bearable. Some  such  fanatic  spirits  went  down  to  Antioch,  to  endeavor  to  force  a 
stricter  practice  on  the  daring  and  innovating  church  of  that  Syrian  city.  The  inter- 
ference threatened  the  authority  of  Paul  and  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  among  the 
Gentiles.  The  question  was  indeed  a  vital  one  ;  then  or  never  must  it  be  decided,  was 
Christianity  to  be  preached  to  all  peoples  as  a  world  religion,  or  to  be  restricted  to  a 
Pharisee  sect  of  the  Jewish  nation.  The  question  involved  the  very  aim  and  life  of  the 
religion  of  Christ  It  was  a  crisis  of  vast  importance.  In  this  emergency  the  delega- 
tion from  the  church  of  Antioch  went  down  to  Jerusalem,  and  discussed  the  question 
of  the  aim  of  the  Gospel  before  the  gathered  body  of  Apostles,  elders,  and  the  Cliurch. 
The  mis'iiun  was  completely  successful.  The  story  of  Paurs  work  won  over,  to  what  we 
may  term  the  Gentile  side,  Peter  and  James  and  Jolin,  the  pillars  of  the  mother  church. 
Aspirit  of  conciliation  brooded  over  this  first  Church  council.  Peter  and  the  Apostles  for 
ever  sanctioned  the  admission  of  stranger  peoples  into  the  brotherhood  of  Christians, 
without  requiring  from  them  any  submission  to  Jewish  rites  or  obedience  to  Jewish  cere- 
monial laws.  But  while  the  leaders  of  the  Jerusalem  community  took  a  broad  view  of 
this  vital  question,  there  were  others  in  the  same  Hebrew  church  who  clung  to  the  old 
distinctions,  and  persisted  in  regarding  circumcision  essential  for  the  Gentiles.  Against 
this  class  of  men,  the  so  called  Judaizing  teachers,  Panl  had  to  contend  more  or  less 
during  his  entire  career.  He  defends  himself  against  them  with  peculiar  fervor  in 
his  Epistle  to  the  Galatians,  whom  they  had  endeavored  to  pervert  from  the  truth. 
After  the  death  of  Paul,  for  some  time  we  have  some  difficulty  in  exactly  defining  the 
relations  between  the  Gentile  and  Jewish  parties  in  the  Christian  Church.  The 
fall  of  Jerusalem,  however,  and  the  destruction  of  the  Temple,  no  doubt  was  a  fatal 
blow  to  the  Judaizing  section  of  the  Christian  communities  in  all  countries.  After  the 
bloody  episode  of  the  rebellion  of  Barcochba,  '  the  son  of  the  star,'  in  Palestine  some 
sixty-three  years  after  the  fall  of  the  city,  Kome  stamped  out  the  remains  of  Judaism 
with  crushing  severity,  and  punished  the  practice  of  circumcision,  the  observance  of 
the  Sabbath,  and  other  marks  of  Judaism  with  extreme  penalties.  The  Judaizing 
party  in  the  Church,  however,  continued  to  exist  down  to  the  fifth  century,  and  was 
divided  into  two  sects,  the  Xazarenes  and  the  Ebionites.  The  latter  rejected  all  the 
Crospels  but  Matthew,  regarded  Paul  as  an  apostate,  and  denying  the  miraculous  birth 
of  Christ  regarded  him  as  merely  a  man.  They  formed  a  powerful  and  numerous  party 
in  the  second  and  third  centuries  of  our  era.  Bishop  Lightfoot.  in  the  dissertation 
which  closes  h  is  Commentary  on  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians,  well  sums  up  the  lessotf 

15 


226  ACTS  XV.  [15:  41. 

which  Christians  of  our  tiuie  may  learn  from  this  history  of  the  first  ages  of  the  Gos- 
pel. '  We  may  well  take  courage,'  he  writes,  '  from  the  study.  However  great  may 
be  the  theological  differences  and  religious  animosities  of  our  own  time,  they  are  far 
surpassed  in  magnitude  by  the  distractions  of  an  age  which,  closing  our  eyes  to  facts, 
we  are  apt  to  invest  with  an  ideal  excellence.  In  the  early  Church  was  fulfilled,  in  its 
inward  di.^seusions  no  less  than  in  its  outward  sufferings,  the  Master's  sad  warning, 
tliat  "  He  came  not  to  send  peace  on  earth,  but  a  sword.' " 

Excursus  B.  On  the  Canons  of  the  Council. — The  decrees  of  the  council,  while 
admitting  the  freedom  of  the  Gentiles  from  the  necessity  of  circumcision,  forbade  four 
practices,  the  use  of  sacrifices  offered  to  idols,  blood,  things  strangled,  and  fornication. 
Two  great  points  were  involved  in  these  simple  canons  -(1)  The  relations  of  the  Gen- 
tile converts  to  the  great  mass  of  the  Heathen  peoples  around  them  ;  i  2)  The  relations 
of  these  same  converts  to  the  Jewish  Christian  community  in  whose  society  in  many 
places  they  would  be  constantly  thrown  In  the  first  group,  '  the  pollution  of  idols ' 
involved  far  more  than  the  mere  eating  of  meats  offered  in  an  idol  temple.  The  idol- 
worship  of  the  first  century  of  our  era  poisoned  the  whole  life  of  society  in  Greece, 
in  Italy,  in  the  East.  Mr.  Lecky  well  writes  :— '  The  voluptuous  worship  of  Aphrodite 
gave  a  kind  of  religious  sanction  to  their  (courtesans')  profession.  Courtesans  were 
the  priestesses  in  her  temples,  and  those  of  Corinth  were  believed  by  their  prayers  to 
have  averted  calamines  from  their  city.  Prostitution  is  said  to  have  entered  into  the 
religious  rites  of  Babylon,  Byblos,  Cyprus,  and  Corinth  ;  and  these,  as  well  as  Miletus, 
Tenedos,  Lesbos,  and  Abydos,  became  famous  for  their  schools  of  vice  which  grew  up 
under  the  shadow  of  the  temples '  {Hist,  of  European  Morals,  chap.  5).  Another  writer 
tells  lis :  '  If  we  wish  to  realize  the  appearance  and  reality  of  the  complicated  heathen- 
ism of  the  first  Christian  century,  we  must  endeavor  to  imagine  the  scene  of  the 
"  Daphne"  suburb  of  Antioch,  with  its  fountains  and  groves  of  bay  trees,  its  bright 
buildings,  its  crowds  of  licentious  votaries,  its  statue  of  Apollo,  where  under  the  climate 
of  Syria  and  the  wealthy  patronage  of  liome  all  that  was  beautiful  in  nature  and  art 
had  created  a  sanctuary  for  a  perpetual  festival  of  vice '  (Howson,  Life  of  St.  Paul, 
chap.  4).  To  the  warning  respecting  '  pollutions  of  idols,'  the  council  added  a  command 
to  abstain  from  fornication,  a  deadly  group  of  sins  closely  associated  with  much  t)f  the 
current  idol-worship  of  the  day  ;  and,  indeed,  it  was  time  to  call  the  attention  of  man- 
kind to  the  imperative  duty  of  gravely  renouncing  those  sins  which  the  popular  re- 
ligion of  the  day  had  not  only  condoned,  but  had  even  glorified  with  the  halo  of  a 
sacred  sanction.  The  second  group  contains  what  may  be  termed  ceremonial  charges 
to  abstain  from  the  flesh  of  animals  which  had  been  stiangled  (that  is,  whose  blood 
was  not  poured  forth),  and  generally  from  the  eating  of  blood.  Neglect  of  these  in- 
junctions in  a  state  of  society  where  Jewish  and  Gentile  converts  were  so  frequently 
and  so  intimately  thrown  together,  would  have  been  a  fruitful  source  of  bitter  dispute, 
for  the  pious  Jew  from  time  immemorial  had  been  trained  to  regard  blood  as  a  sacred 
thing.  The  symbolic  holiness  of  blood  was  taught  to  Noah  (Gen  !) :  4),  and  in  the  laws 
of  Moses.  The  perpetually-recurring  sacrifices  ever  kept  alive  the  same  truth,  that  it 
was  '  the  blood  that  maketh  an  atonement  for  the  soul '  (Lev.  17 :  II).  This  command 
reiterated  so  often  (Gen.  9:4;  Lev.  17  :  13-14  ;  Deut.  12  :  IG),  that  no  blood  be  mixed 
with  their  food,  bore  witness  to  the  deep-seated  belief  in  the  heart  of  Israel,  that  in 
some  mysterious  way  blood  was  the  agent  of  the  purification  of  all  things,  '  that  all 
things  are  cleansed  with  blood,  and  apart  from  shedding  of  blood  tliore  is  no  remissitm ' 
(Heb.  9  :  22).    These  four  articles  seem  to  have  been  dictated  by  the  needs  of  the  times. 


16:  1.]  ACTS  XVI.  227 

Chapter  16  :  1-5. 
Paul  and  Silas  visit  Lystra  and  deliver  up  the  Decrees. 

16  :  1  And  he  came  also  to  Derbe  and  to  Lystra  :  and 
behold,  a  certain  disciple  Avas  there,  named  Timothy, 
the  son  of  a  Jewess  which  believed ;  but  his  father  was 

How  could  the  Gentilo  be  received  into  the  Church,  with  the  least  possible  shock  to 
the  prejudices  of  those  Jews  with  whom  he  wouhl  come  in  contact,  due  regard  being 
had,  on  the  one  hand,  to  the  pure  life  commanded  by  Jesus,  and,  on  the  other,  to  that 
love  and  mutual  forbearance  which  are  the  spirit  of  Christianity?  The  Council  of 
Jerusalem  answers  these  questions  by  the  four  commands  it  sent  out  to  all  Gentile 
converts.  Two  of  these  charges  tell  them,  if  they  would  be  Christians,  then  tlieymust 
separate  themselves  from  the  license  of  Pagan  life.  The  other  two  forbid  them  rudely 
to  shock  the  consciences  of  their  lellow-believers  of  Israel.  The  spirit  of  these  first 
decrees  of  the  Christian  Church,  which  enjoined  purity  of  life,  brotherly  forbearance 
and  love,  on  its  earliest  disciples,  was  meant  to  be  lasting;  but  the  decrees  themselves 
were  intended  only  to  be  in  force  while  the  causes  which  called  them  forth  endured. 
As  Christianity  sp  ead  and  its  doctrines  became  known,  the  old  Pagan  life  withered 
away,  its  gods  became  universally  discredited,  its  temple*  were  deserted  without  the  aid 
of  laws  and  decrees  forbidding  men  to  frequent  their  polluted  courts  ;  while  those  Jews 
who  welcomed  the  knowledge  of  Christ  became  merged  in  the  new  society,  and  as  years 
passed  on,  gradually  came  to  see  that  all  symbols  of  the  great  sacrifice  were  useless, 
and  might  be  laid  aside,  now  that  the  great  s;icrifice  itself  had  been  offered.  The 
Catholic  Church,  till  nearly  the  time  of  Augustine,  complying  with  the  decree  of 
this  first  council,  abstained  from  eating  blood  ;  but,  in  the  days  of  Augustine,  this 
practice  seems  to  have  ceased  altogether  in  the  African  Church  (see  contra  Mauich. 
32 :  13,  quoted  by  Meyer;.  Strict  rules  on  this  point  were  enacted  in  the  Council  of 
Gangra,  and  again  in  the  Council  of  Trullo.  It  is  also  strictly  prohibited  in  the  so- 
called  Apostolic  Canons  vsee  Bingham,  Cki .  Ant.  17  :  5). 

Paul  and  Silas  visit  Lystra  and  deliver  up  the  Decrees,  vers.  1-5. 

Ver.  1.  And  behold.  The  interjection  iMoW  marks  the  import- 
ance which  the  writer  of  the  Acts  attaches  to  the  solemn  adoption  of 
Timothy  by  Paul. — A  certain  disciple  was  there,  named 
Timothy.  It  was  during  the  first  visit  of  Paul  and  Barnabas  at 
Lystra  that  Timothy  must  have  been  converted.  Paul  speaks  of  him 
(1  Tim.  1:2)  as  '  his  true  child  in  faith.'  His  mother's  name  was 
Eunice,  his  grandmother's  Lois  (2  Tim.  1 :  4).  *They  had  been  strict 
Jewesses,  and  had  trained  him  from  infancy  in  the  wisdom  of  the 
Sacred  Books  (2  Tim.  3:  IS).  The  reputation  which  he  had  already 
acquired  in  the  Church,  and  which  is  referred  to  in  the  next  verse, 
implies  that  he  had  been  active,  dmnng  Paul's  absence,  in  Christian 
endeavor.  He  became  an  unselfish  and  enthusiastic  adherent  of 
Paul,  and  an  earnest  minister  of  the  Gospel  (Phil.  2:  18,  19).  He 
travelled  with  Paul  and  Silas  during  the  greater  part  of  Paul's  second 


228  ACTS  XVI.  [16:  2,3. 

2  a  Greek.      The  same  was  well   reported  of  by  the 

3  brethren  that  were  at  Lystra  and  Iconiiim.  Him 
would  Paul  have  to  go  forth  with  him ;  and  he  took 
and  circumcised  him  because  of  the  Jews  that  were  in 
those  parts  :  for  they  all  knew  that  his  father  was  a 

missionary  journey.  He  labored  at  Corinth  (1  Cor.  16  :  10),  and  for 
a  longer  period  at  Ephesus  (1  Tim.  1:3).  He  seems  to  have  shared 
a  part  of  Paul's  first  imprisonment  in  Rome  (Phil.  2:  19),  and  Paul 
urged  him  to  join  him  in  his  second  imprisonment  (2  Tim.  4 :  9).  It  was  to 
Timothy  that  Paul  addressed  two  epistles,  full  of  details  of  a  personal 
nature,  and  aifectionate  counsels.  Timothy  at  the  time  of  Paul's  second 
visit  to  Lystra  was  still  a  young  man,  perhaps  18  or  20.  His  father 
•was  a  Greek.  Mixed  marriages,  though  very  rare  in  Palestine, 
were  common  enough  in  remote  districts  like  Lycaonia. 

Ver.  2.  The  same  was  well  reported  of.  During  the  interval 
which  elapsed  between  Paul's  first  and  second  visits  to  Lystra,  Timothy 
had  doubtless  worked  for  the  cause  of  Christ  well  and  earnestly,  and 
had  won  himself  that  '  good  report '  which  Paul  on  inquiry  about  him 
received  from  the  brethren. 

Ver.  3.  Him  would  Paul  have  to  go  forth.  Silas  filled  the 
place  of  Barnabas.  Timothy  would  supply  the  place  of  Mark.  Cir- 
cumcised him  because  of  the  Jew^s.  In  this  act  Paul  was  in- 
fluenced entirely  by  considerations  connected  with  the  unconverted 
Jews,  who  would  quickly  learn  the  particulars  concerning  the  mission- 
ary Apostle's  trusted  companion.  His  circumcision  would  enable  him 
to  labor  to  better  advantage  among  the  Jews,  and  would  create  in  their 
minds  a  presumption  in  his  favor.  Paul  in  this  case  did  not  abandon 
principle,  as  we  see  in  his  steady  refusal  to  circumcise  Titus  (Gal.  2  :  3). 
In  the  case  of  Titus,  had  he  complied  with  the  requirement  to  circum- 
cise him,  he  would  have  given  his  assent  to  the  doctrine  that  circum-' 
cision  was  necessary  to  salvation.  Circumcision  in  the  case  of  Timothy 
was  a  matter  of  expediency.  Paul  simply  carried  out  his  words,  *  To 
the  Jews  I  became  as  a  Jew,  that  I  might  gain  Jews'  (1  Cor.  9:  20), 
knowing  that  Timothy  uncircumcised  would  probably  prove  a  grave 
hindrance  to  his  future  mission  work  in  Jewish  centres.  Luther  thus 
comments  on  the  transaction  :  'It  is  just  as  if  I  should  now  go  among 
the  Jews  in  order  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  should  find  that  they 
were  weak.  I  might  in  that  case  be  willing  to  submit  to  circumcision, 
and  to  eat  or  to  abstain  even  as  they  do,  but  I  would  do  all  this  in  no 
other  case  and  no  longer  than  while  I  could  be  with  them  and  labor 
for  the  Gospel.'  *  Paul  evidently  regarded  circumcision  as  in  itself 
valueless,  and  having  no  saving  quality.  '  Circumcision  availeth  no- 
thing' (Gal.  5:  6).  His  course  in  circumcising  Timothy  was  a  wise 
conclusion,  anticipating  the  attacks  of  Jewish  prejudice. 


16:  4-6.]  ACTS  XVI.  229 

4  Greek.  And  as  they  went  on  their  way  through  the 
cities,  they  delivered  them  the  decrees  for  to  keep, 
which  had  been  ordained  of  the  apostles  and  elders  that 

5  were  at  Jerusalem.  So  the  churches  were  strengthened 
in  the  faith,  and  increased  in  number  daily. 

Chapter  16:  6-10. 
The  Man  from  Macedonia. 

6  And  they  went  through  the  region  of  Phrygia  and 

Yer.  4.  The  cities.  This  would  probably  include  Iconium  and 
Antioch  in  Pisidia.  *  Delivered  them  the  decrees.  The  de- 
crees passed  by  the  Council  of  Jerusalem  (15:  2'J).  The  letter  sent 
out  by  It  was  of  the  nature  of  an  encyclical,  and  designed  for  the  use 
of  all  the  Gentile  churches.  The  words  seem  to  imply  that  Paul  left 
written  copies  at  dilferent  points. 

*  Practical  Notes. — A  careful  home  training  is  a  good  preparation  for  future  use- 
fulness. Timothy  had  enjoyed  the  education  of  a  pious  mother  and  grandmother.  The 
names  of  these  two  women,  Eunice  and  Lois,  have  been  preserved  as  an  encourage- 
ment to  parents.  Their  consistent  lives  were  of  great  value  as  an  example  to  the 
young  man.  But  to  that  they  added  faithful  instructions  in  the  Scriptures  from  his 
infancy  up  (2  Tim.  3  :  15).  The  best  place  to  lay  the  foundation  of  piety  and  future 
usefulness  is  in  the  home. — Older  laborers  should  have  their  eye  upon  promising 
young  workers  and  encourage  and  train  them.  Timothy  was  still  a  young  man  when 
Paul  arrived  for  the  second  time  at  Lystra,  and  he  probably  could  not  preach  much,  if 
at  all.  He  went,  however,  into  theological  training  with  Paul,  and  became  an  able 
minister  of  the  truth  The  young  must  be  noticed  and  trained  by  the  older  workers, 
that  they  may  gain  confidence  and  be  made  competent  to  fill  responsible  jKJSitions. — It 
is  well  to  conform  to  indifferent  customs,  when  by  so  doing  we  can  promote  good  ends 
(ver.  3).  Circumcision  was  in  itself  valueless.  Paul  knew  this  and  pled  it  at  the  Coun- 
cil of  Jerusalem.  But  in  circumcising  Timothy  he  was  following  the  good  law  of 
expediency.  It  was  lawful  for  Paul  to  eat  meit,  but  he  went  on  the  principle  that  if 
his  use  of  meat  was  likely  to  prove  a  stumblins-block  to  his  brethren  he  would  ab- 
stain (Eom.  14:  21).  The  same  general  rule  was  carried  out  in  Timothy's  circumcision. 
Circumcision  was  in  itself  a  matter  of  indifference.  But  in  their  missionary  tour, 
Timothy  would  meet  many  Jews  to  whom  his  descent  from  a  Greek  father,  and  his 
want  of  circumcision,  would  be  occasions  for  criticism  and  stumbling.  Paul  removed 
them  as  far  as  he  could  out  of  the  way  by  circumcising  the  yonng  Christian.  His  ob- 
ject was  that  the  Go5i)el  might  have  free  course.  Had  any  parties  insisted  upon 
Timothy's  circumcision  as  a  matter  essential  to  his  salvation,  Paul  would  have  re- 
sisted. We  should  be  uncompromising  in  questions  of  principle,  but  when  it  comes  to 
matters  of  indifference  M-e  should  be  yielding,  becoming  'all  things  to  all  men,  if  so  be 
that  we  may  win  some.' 

The  Man  from  Macedonia,  vers.  6-10. 
Yer.  6.     Phrygia.     Phrygia  denoted  at  this  time  broken  portions 


230  ACTS  XVI.  [16:  7,  8. 

Galatia,  having  been  forbidden  of  the  Holy   Ghost  to 

.  7  speak  the  word  in  Asia ;  and  when  they  were  come 

over  against  Mysia,  they  assayed  to  go  into  Bithynia  ; 

8  and  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  suffered  them  not ;  and  passing 

of  a  territory  in  Asia.  Minor,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  three  or  four 
distinct  governors.  It  was  west  of  Antioch  in  Pisidia.  Its  chief  cities 
mentioned  in  the  New  Testament  are  Colosse,  Laodiceeaand  Hierapolis. 
— Galatia.  This  was  a  great  midland  district  of  Asia  Minor,  east  of 
Plirygia,  inhabited  by  the  descendants  of  the  Gauls  who  invaded 
Greece  and  Asia  in  the  third  century  b.  c.  It  became  a  formal  pro- 
vince of  Rome  a.  d.  26.  Its  principal  cities  were  Ancyra  (the  capital), 
Taviura  and  Pessinus.  It  was  in  this  missionary  journey  that  Paul 
laid  the  foundation  of  the  Galatian  churches  which  treated  him  so  cor- 
dially, and  of  which  he  writes  so  affectionately  in  the  Epistle  to  the 
Galatians.  While  he  was  in  Galatia  he  was  attacked  by  sickness, 
probably  ophthalmia  [the  thorn  in  the  flesh].    See  Gal.  4:  3-14. 

Yer.  6.     ^^Frrbidden   of    the    Holy    Ghost    to    speak   the 
word  in  Asia,  etc.     Asia  represents  the  three  provinces  of  Lydia, 
Mysia  and  Caria,  the  extreme  western  portion  of  Asia  Minor  on  the 
^gean  Sea.     It  was  evidently  Paul's  desire  to  preach  in  this  ser'-  u 
(Pluniptre).      Various  reasons   have  been  given  for  the  interposi 
and  interference  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     It  may  have  been  to  detain  P. 
in  Galatia  longer  that  he  might  found  churches  there   (Meyer),  bi. 
more  probably  to  direct  him  on  without  delay  towards  Europe  and  the 
West. 

Ver.  7.  Bithynia.  A  district  on  the  Black  Sea  and  the  Sea  of 
Marmora.  Again  Paul  was  not  allowed  to  deviate  from  the  course  that 
led  to  Europe. 

Ver.  8.  Troas.  This  famous  place  bearing  the  name  of  the  ancient 
Troy  was  a  seaport  on  the  Hellespont,  four  or  five  miles  from  the  site 
of  the  ancient  city.  It  was  built  and  named  after  Alexander  the  Great, 
'Alexandria  Troas.'  By  the  Romans  in  the  days  of  their  greatest 
power  it  was  regarded  as  New  Troy,  and  was  then  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant cities  of  Pi'oconsular  Asia.  It  is  reported  that  Julius  Cj«sar 
intended  to  make  it  eventually  the  capital  of  the  Roman  Empire.  Three 
centuries  later,  Constantino  the  Great,  before  he  finally  chose  Byzan- 
tium, had  fixed  upon  Troas  as  the  future  seat  of  his  vast  united  empire. 
Gibbon  writes  :  '  Though  the  undertaking  was  soon  relinquished,  the 
stately  remains  of  unfinished  walls  and  towers  attracted  the  notice  of  all 
who  sailed  through  the  Hellespont.'  *  It  is  interesting  to  remember  that 
the  scene  of  Homer's  Iliad  is  laid  at  Troy.  We  do  not  know  whether 
Paul  and  his  companions  thought  of  the  deeds  of  the  ancient  Greeks  and 
the  story  of  Achilles,  or  whether  he  looked  with  interest  upon  the 
scenery.  Both  he  might  well  have  done.  But  he  was  engaged  in  an- 
other kind  of  warfare  whose  weapons  were  not  carnal.     Troas  was  to 


16:  9,10.]  ACTS  XVI.  231 

9  by  Mysia,  they  came  down  to  Troas.     And  a  vision 

appeared  to  Paul  in  the  night ;  There  was  a  man  of 

Macedonia  standing,  beseeching  him,  and  saying,  Come 

10  over  into  Macedonia,  and  help  us.     And  when  he  had 

seen  the  vision,  straightway  Ave  sought  to  go  forth  into 

be  the  starting  point  of  the  blessings  of  the  Gospel  for  Greece  and  the 
West.  The  distance  from  Troas  across  to  Macedonia  was  about  100 
miles. 

Ver.  9,  A  vision  appeared  to  Paul  in  the  night;  There 
was  a  man  of  Macedonia.  A  special  vision  was  necessary,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  double  interference  of  the  Spirit  already  related,  to  direct 
Paul's  eye  to  Europe.  For  an  Oriental  to  pass,  on  such  a  mission,  into 
far  western  lands,  was  a  difficult  and  hazardous  undertaking.  The 
conditions  under  which  hitherto  Paul  had  carried  on  his  work,  would 
at  once  be  changed  ;  in  the  western  countries  across  the  Mediterranean 
or  ^E^ean  Sea,  he  knew  that  he  would  have  to  face,  in  addition  to  the 
obstacles  which  hitherto  he  had  combated,  new  difficulties.  Various 
explanations  have  been  suggested  respecting  the  vision  and  the  man 
from  Macedonia.  Commentators  have  asked  how  Paul  recognised  the 
country  of  which  his  visitor  was  a  representative?  Some  have  sug- 
gested the  peculiar  dress,  others  the  '  affecting  words '  spoken  by  him 
to  Paul,  '  Come  over  into  Macedonia,  and  help  us.'  Grotius  suggests, 
not  without  reason,  that  '  the  one  who  appeared  to  him  was  the  repre- 
sentative or  guardian  angel  of  Macedonia,  as  the  "Prince  of  Persia," 
in  Dan.  x.'  *Come  over  into  Macedonia  and  help  us.  With 
the  Gospel,  against  Satan  and  our  blindness  (Bengel).  This  cry  is  the 
typical  cry  for  the  Gospel  in  all  ages,  and  no  Christian  should  be  able 
to  read  it  without  deep  emotion.  '  On  this  momentous  vision  hung  the 
Cliristianization  of  Europe  and  all  the  blessings  of  modern  civiliza- 
tion '  (SchafiF.  Apost.  Ch.  1 :  308). 

Ver.  10.  We  sought  to  go  forth  into  Macedonia.  In 
this  verse  the  writer  of  the  Acts  adopts  the  style  of  an  eye-witness, 
and  writes  in  the  first  person,  We.  From  this  it  appears  that  Luke 
joined  the  missionary  band  first  at  Troas.  Connecting  the  severe  illness 
of  the  Apostle  during  the  Galatian  visit  fver.  6  and  Gal.  4:  13-15,) 
from  which  he  had  so  recently  recovered,  the  supposition  that  Luke, 
the  '  beloved  physician '  associated  himself  with  Paul  at  this  juncture 
and  watched  over  his  health  is  not  without  foundation.  At  Philippi, 
however,  Paul  and  Luke  parted  company,  the  latter  apparently  re- 
maining behind.  In  the  coui-se  of  the  Apostle's  third  missionary 
journey,  he  again  and  apparently  at  Philippi  (Acts  20  :  6)  joined  the 
missionary  company  ;  and  fro  in  that  period  until  the  arrival  of  Paul  afe 
Rome  as  a  prisoner,  and  the  very  close  of  the  Acts,  he  was  in  close 
attendanee  upon  him.  In  the  very  last  of  his  Epistles  Paul, 
writing  in  the  full  expectation  of  a  violent  death,  makes  mention  of 


232  ACTS  XVI.  [16:  10. 

Macedonia,  concluding  that  God  had  called  us  for  to 
preach  the  gospel  unto  them. 

Luke  again,  who  ■with  noble  constancy  stayed  with  him  when  others 
had  left  him  or  forsaken  him  (2  Tim.  4:  11). — Macedonia.  This 
country  was  now  a  Ptoman  province.  The  Roman  governor  resided  at 
Thessalonica,  which  was  the  general  capital.  Philip  and  his  son, 
(330  B.C.)  Alexander  the  Great,  were  the  first  to  bring  Macedonia  into 
prominence  and  to  extend  its  territory  and  influence  over  Greece. 

*  Practical  Notes.— There  are  hindrances  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  well  as  of  Satan 
(1  Thess.  2  :  18).  God  often  keeps  us  out  of  avenues  of  labor  which  seem  to  offer  rich 
rewards  and  demand  our  attention,  because  He  has  other  and  more  important  avenues 
which  He  would  have  us  enter.  It  was  more  important  that  Paul  should  go  across  the 
sea  to  Europe  than  that  he  should  enter  Bithynia  and  the  country  known  as  Asia  The 
Gosi)el  was  also  carried  to  these  peoples,  though  Paul  was  directed  to  pass  them  by,  and 
there  Mere  '  elect,'  there  to  whom  Peter  afterwards  wrote  his  first  Epistle  (1  Peter  I:  i ). — 
The  niglit  Paul  spent  at  Troas  was  one  of  the  most  eventful  nights  of  history.  The 
vision  marked  a  momentous  crisis.  The  next  morning's  sun  when  it  rose  out  of  the  sea, 
Bhonc  upon  Greece  and  Europe  with  a  new  smile.  It  ushered  in  the  period  of  the  Gos- 
pel for  theai.  The  people  of  Europe  and  of  the  isles  of  the  sea  did  not  know  it,  but 
God  knew  it. — Christianity  is  a  silent  force,  and  her  victories  are  not  won  with  carnal 
weapons.  Four  hundred  yeirs  before  this  a  great  army  of  900,000  troops  was  being 
marshalled  under  king  Xerxes  at  the  Hellespont,  near  by  where  Paul  had  the  vision. 
This  great  armament  was  fitted  out  to  conquer  Greece.  It  crossed  the  Hellespont 
panoplied  in  armor  and  furnished  with  the  weapons  of  war.  But  to  what  extent  did 
it  afl'ect  the  civilization  or  destiny  of  Europe  ?  Jfot  at  all.  Paul  on  the  other  hand, 
a  single  individual,  without  an  army  and  without  a  sword,  crossed  over  likewise  to 
Greece.  His  presence  at  Troas  created  no  excitement,  and  his  purposes  were  unknown. 
Yet  the  vessel  that  carried  Paul  from  Asia  to  Europe  carried  the  seed  of  a  new  civiliza- 
tion and  life,  carried  the  Gospel  and  Christ,  and  to-day  Europe  and  our  far  Western 
America,  of  which  Paul  never  dreamed,  acknowledge  the  Apostle  as  one  of  their  most 
beneficent  benefactors  and  the  world's  greatest  heroes.  Christianity  is  a  silent  force, 
but  it  changes  the  hearts  and  lives  of  men.— Missionaries  little  dream  of  the  great  re- 
sults that  may  follow  their  labors.  Abraham  travelled  westward,  carrying  with 
him  the  great  tnith  of  the  unity  of  God,  but  he  had  hardly  a  presentiment  of  the  vast 
importance  of  his  journey  and  the  reverence  in  which  subsequent  generations  would 
regard  his  memory.  Paul,  too,  travelled  westwards.  He  little  knew  what  depended 
upon  his  crossing  from  Asia  to  Europe,  but  we  know.  God  uses  weak  instruments, 
men  without  armies  often,  but  proclaiming  the  truth,  to  work  out  great  results— The 
cry  of  the  Macedonian,  'Come  over  and  help  us,'  is  still  heard  from  heathen  lands  and 
from  every  soul  that  is  without  the  Gospel.— Macedonia  and  Europe  did  not  make  the 
appeal  or  feel  the  need  of  it.  But  they  were  destitute  and  needy  though  unconscious, 
perhaps,  of  their  need,  and  God  looked  down  in  pity  upon  them.  'The  unconscious 
needs  of  the  world  are  all  appeals  to  Him.  He  does  not  wait  to  hear  the  voice  of  con- 
Bcious  want.  The  mere  vacancy  is  a  begging  after  fulness  ;  the  mere  poverty  is  a  sup 
plication  for  wealth ;  the  mere  darkness  is  a  cry  for  light '  (Phillips  Brooks). 


16:  11-13.]  ACTS  XVI.  233 

Chapter  16:  11-15. 

Paulas  Arrival  in  Europe. —  The  Conversion  of  Lydia. 

11  Setting  sail  therefore  from  Troas,  we  made  a  straight 
course  to  Samothrace,  and  the  day  following  to  Xeapolis ; 

12  and  from  thence  to  Philippi,  which  is  a  city  of  Mace- 
donia, the  first  of  the  district,  a  Roman  colony :  and 

13  we  were  in  this  city  tarrying  certain  days.  And  on 
the  sabbath  day  we  went  forth  without  the  gate  by  a 
river  side,  where  we  supposed  there  was  a  place  of 
prayer ;  and  we  sat  down,  and  spake  unto  the  women 

PauVs  Arrivalin  Europe. — The  Conversion  of  Lydia,  vers.  11-15. 

Ver.  11.     We  made  a  straight  course  to  Samothrace.     The 

wind  was  in  their  favor.  The  same  word  occurs  again  in  the  same 
sense  in  chap.  21  :  1.  Luke  observes  a  technical  precision  in  the  use 
of  such  terms.  His  account  of  the  voyage  to  Home  (ch.  27)  shows  a 
surprising  familiarity  with  sea  life. 

Ver.  12.  Philippi.  This  city  was  built  by  Philip  of  Macedon, 
who  named  it  after  himself.  It  became  known  in  history  as  the  scene 
of  the  decisive  battle  in  which  Brutus  and  Cassius  were  defeated  by 
Augustus  and  Antony  (42  b.  c.)  The  city  has  long  disappeared,  and 
its  site  is  occupied  by  a  small  village  named  Filiba.  Extensive  ruins 
still  mark  the  site  of  the  old  city. — The  first  of  the  district. 
These  words  describe  the  geogi'a?pliical  situation  of  Philippi,  in  relation 
to  Paul's  journey,  as  the  first  city  of  Macedonia  at  which  he  arrived. — 
A  RomaD  colony.  A  Roman  colony  was  a  miniature  of  the 
Imperial  City, — a  portion  of  Rome  itself  transplanted  to  the  provinces. 
Some  of  the  inhabitants,  being  colonists  and.  the  descendants  of 
colonists,  were  Roman  citizens,  and  were  still  enrolled  in  one  of  the 
tribes,  and  possessed  the  privilege  of  voting  at  Rome.  In  these  cities 
the  Roman  law  was  scrupulously  observed,  and  they  were  governed  by 
their  own  senate  and  magistrates,  and  not  by  the  governor  of  the 
province,  in  which  the  colony  happened  to  be  situated.  In  certain  of 
these  colonies,  the  land  on  which  they  stood  was  free  from  taxation. 

Ver.  13.  By  a  river  side.  The  Gangas,  a  small  stream  close  to 
the  city,  especially  chosen  because  it  served  for  the  ablutions  con- 
nected with  Jewish  worship.  A  place  of  prayer.  This  word 
TrpncevxJ]  { proseucha)  was  the  designation  of  a  structure,  frequently 
open  to  the  sky,  erected  for  the  purposes  of  Jewish  worship.  There 
was  evidently  but  a  very  small  colony  of  Jews  at  Philippi,  OAving  no 
doubt  to  the  fact  that  it  was  rather  a  military  than  a  commercial  city. 
This  accounts  for  there  being  no  regular  synagogue  there;  the  jt?ro- 
seiichrt,  or  place  of  prayer  by  the  river-side  was  the  substitute  for  the 
synagogue. 


234  ACTS  XVL  [10:14,15. 

14  which  were  come  together.  And  a  certain  woman 
named  Lydia,  a  seller  of  purple,  of  the  city  of  Thya- 
tira,  one  that  worshipped  God,  heard  us  :  whose  heart 
the  Lord  opened,  to  give  heed   unto  the  things  which 

15  were  spoken  by  Paul.  And  when  she  was  baptized, 
and  her  household,  she  besought  us,  saying,  If  ye  have 
judged  me  to  be  faithful  to  the  Lord,  come  into  my 
house,  and  abide  there.     And  she  constrained  us. 

Ver.  14.     Lydia,  a  seller  of  purple,  of  the  city  of  Thyatira. 

The  city  of  Thyatira,  on  the  confines  of  Lydia  and  Mysia,  and  one  of 
the  seven  churches  of  Asia  addressed  in  the  Apocalypse  (Rev.  2:  18), 
was  celebrated  in  very  early  days  for  its  purple  dyes  and  fabrics. 
Among  the  ruins  of  the  city  has  been  found  an  inscription  relating 
to  the  guild  of  dyers,  cuinously  testifying  to  the  accuracy  of 
even  the  unimportant  details  of  the  narrative.  The  business  which 
brought  Lydia  to  Philippi  was  connected  either  with  the  sale  of  the 
coloring  matter,  or  moro  likely  with  the  fabric  already  dyed.  The 
purple  color  so  est -emed  in  tlie  ancient  world  included  many  tints. — ' 
That  worshipped  God.  Lydia  was  a  proselyte  to  Judaism,  in  the 
habit  of  attending  the  Jewish  services.  *  Whose  heart  the  Lord 
opened.  To  receive  and  believe  the  truth,  the  heart  being  regarded 
as  the  seat  of  the  will,  affections  and  understanding.  The  same  is 
said  of  the  mind  (Luke  24  :  45).  The  heart  is  also  figuratively  regarded 
as  endowed  with  spiritual  sight  (Eph.  1  :  18).  Bengel  says,  the  heart 
closes  of  itself.     It  is  for  God  to  open  it. 

Ver.  15.  She  -was  baptized,  and  her  household.  This 
passage  has  been  quoted  in  support  of  infant  baptism.  It  is,  however, 
quite  uncertain  whether,  by  the  words  her  household,  we  are  to  under- 
stand her  children,  her  slaves,  or  the  working-people  busied  in  the  in- 
dustry of  dyeing.  There  are  other  households  mentioned  in  the  New 
Testament  as  having  been  baptized  (ver.  32  ;  1  Cor.  1 :  IG  ;  Rom.  IG  :  5). 
Is  it  credible,  asks  Beng-'l,  '  that  in  so  many  families  there  was  no 
child  ?'  But  our  Lord's  action,  when  he  laid  his  hands  on  the  little 
children  (Matt.  19:  15)  is  of  all  warrants  for  this  most  ancient  prac- 
tice the  most  authoritative.  As  has  been  well  said,  '  If  infants  were 
capable  of  spiritual  blessings  then,  why  should  they  be  thought  incap- 
able now  ?' — Come  into  my  house,  and  abide  there.  As  a  rule, 
Paul  was  reluctant  to  accept  favors.  Surrounded  by  enemies,  he  de- 
termined that  the  reproach  of  mercenary  motives  should  never  hinder 
his  work  for  the  Master.  Lydia' s  urgent  invitation  induced  Paul  to 
deviate  from  his  practice  of  refusing  help,  even  from  his  most  intimate 
friends  (Acts  20:  38,  34).  There  were,  of  course,  exceptions  to  this 
rule  (Acts  24  :  23  ;  28  :  10  ;  Rom  16 :  23.) 

*  Pbactical  Notes. — See  close  of  next  section. 


16:  lG-18.]  ACTS  XVI.  235 

Chapter  16  :  16-18. 
The  Healing  of  a  Sootlisayer. 

16  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  we  were  going  to  the  place 
of  prayer,  that  a  certain  maid  having  ^a  spirit  of  di- 
vination met  us,  which  brought  her  masters  much  gain 

17  by  soothsaying.  The  same  following  after  Paul  and 
us  cried  out,  saying,  These  men  are  ^servants  of  the 
Most  High  God,  which  proclaim  unto  you  ^the  way 

18  of  salvation.  And  this  she  did  for  many  days.  But 
Paul,  being  sore  troubled,  turned  and  said  to  the 
spirit,  I  charge  thee  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  to 
come  out  of  her.     And  it  came  out  that  very  hour. 

1  Gr.  a  spirit,  a  Python.  2  Gr.  bondservants.  3  Qr,  a  way. 

The  Healing  of  a  Sootlisayer,  vers.  16-18. 

Ver.  16.  A  maid  having  a  spirit  of  divination.  This  was  a 
female  slave  possessed,  to  translate  the  Greek  literally,  '  Avith  a  spirit, 
a  Python.'  Python  was  the  spirit  that  traditionally  guarded  Delphi. 
To  be  possessed  by  it  was  to  be  supernaturally  endowed  with  wisdom 
and  a  prophetic  spirit.  Hesychius  states  that  the  term  came  to  be 
used  for  a  soothsaying  ventriloquist,  and  Augustine  goes  so  far  as  to 
call  this  girl  a  ventriloquist.  She  was  the  slave  of  several  joint- 
owners,  who  used  her  powers  as  a  source  of  revenue,  and  appear  to 
have  made  large  sums  thereby. 

Ver  17.  These  men  are  servants  of  the  Most  High  God. 
This  utterance  is  to  be  regai'ded  as  parallel  to  the  utterances  of  the 
demoniacs  who  acknowledged  the  supremacy  and  power  of  Christ,  who 
on  several  occasions  silenced  them  (Mark  3  :  12  ;  Luke  4:  34,  35).  In 
like  manner,  Paul  here,  troubled  at  the  demon's  perpetual  acknow- 
ledgment of  his  divine  mission,  in  his  Master's  name  expelled  the 
spirit.  The  curious  question  suggests  itself,  why  Paul  suffered  the 
demon,  after  he  was  aware  of  its  presence,  so  long  to  remain  torment- 
ing the  girl  ?  Bengel  concludes  that  the  spirit  did  not  belong  to  the 
worst  order  of  spirits,  otherwise  Paul's  indignation  had  been  more 
quickly  ttirred  up.  But  the  true  explanation  seems  to  be,  that  there 
was  something  in  the  unhappy  possessed  one  herself  which  prevented 
an  earlier  deliverance.  The  words  of  the  narrative  seem  to  suggest 
that  in  the  end  the  expulsion  of  the  spirit  was  determined  upon  rather 
to  silence  its  unwelcome  interruption  than  to  benefit  the  sufferer.  In 
her  case,  the  remittal  of  the  punishment,  if  it  were  a  punishment,  pos- 
sibly might  not  have  been  a  blessing.  It  is,  however,  more  probable 
that,  during  the  many  days  some  of  the  words  of  Christ  uttered  or  ex- 


236  ACTS  XVI.  [16:  19,  20. 

Chapter  16  :  19-34. 

PauVs  Imprisonment  and  the  Conversion  of  the  Jailor. 

19  But  when  her  masters  saw  that  the  hope  of  their 
gain  was  ^gone,  they  laid  hold  on  Paul  and  Silas,  and 
dragged  them  into  the  marketplace  before  the  rulers, 

20  and  when  they  had  brought  them   unto  the  ^magis- 

1  Gr.  come  out.  ^  Gr.  praetors. 

plained  by  Paul  penetrated  her  darkened  heart,  and  awoke  in  her  some 
sense  of  her  lost  and  degraded  condition.  Then  she  perhaps  cried  for 
help  and  received  it. 

*  Practical  Notes. — The  motives  which  moved  Paul  to  cross  over  to  Europe  -were 
not  a  selfish  desire  of  conquest,  or  quest  of  wealth  or  ambition  for  fame,  but  the  con- 
straining love  of  Christ  and  the  distress  of  the  world  calling  for  the  Gospel. — The 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  a  grain  of  mustard  seed.  Paul's  first  conquest  in  Europe 
was  a  solitary  woman.  The  church  in  Philippi  was  increased  afterwards  by  the  bap- 
tism of  her  household  and  that  of  the  jailor.  Yet  how  small  and  inconsiderable  the 
beginning  seemed!  Lydia  was  simply  a  seller  of  purple,  but  because  she  became  a 
citizen  of  Christ's  kingdom,  her  name  is  known  and  her  story  read  in  the  whole  world, 
while  the  name  of  none  of  the  citizens  of  that  '  Koman  Colony '  are  lefi  on  record. 
Truly  what  belongs  to  the  kingdom  of  Christ  is  immortal.  The  Gospel  lifts  up  the 
humble  and  exalts  them  of  low  degree. — There  is  a  sharp  contrast  in  the  incidents  of 
the  conversion  of  Lydia  and  the  soothsaying  girl,  of  what  the  Gospel  does  in  the  world 
and  what  it  finds.  The  missionary  baptized  the  believing  woman  Lydia. — This  was 
the  sign  of  the  forgiveness  and  washing  away  of  sin.  He  found  religion  debased  into 
a  superstitious  belief  in  and  practice  of  magic  and  divinitory  arts.  The  Gospel  comes 
to  bless,  and  it  finds  the  world  in  sad  destitution  and  want. — The  p'aces  where  the 
Christian  may  find  a  pulpit.  Not  merely  in  the  synagogue  or  the  church,  but  on  the 
street,  at  the  river  side,  in  the  market-place  (Acts  17 :  17),  and  at  midnight  in  the 
prison  (ver.  31).  God  can  be  preached  everywhere,  if  we  only  have  the  spirit  of 
preaching.— The  Gospel  has  its  triumphs,  ns  well  as  mailed  armies.  A  hundred  years 
before  this  (42  b.  c  \  a  great  battle  was  fought  at  Philippi,  and  Augustus,  afterwards 
emperor, won  a  decisive  victory.  The  preaching  of  the  cross  at  Philippi,  occasioned  no 
shedding  of  blood,  but  it  won  noiseless  and  wonderful  triumphs  over  the  world  and 
death  in  the  hearts  of  some  believers.  He  who  surrenders  to  Christ,  receives  the  par- 
don and  power  of  an  endless  life. 

PauVs  Imjirkonment  and  the  Conversion  of  the  Jailor,  vers.  19-34. 

Ver.  19.  The  hope  of  their  gain  was  gone.  It  was  revenge 
that  prompted  them  to  procure  the  arrest  of  Paul  and  Silas.  When 
the  evil  spirit  had  been  exorcised,  the  power  of  uttering  prophecies  of 
future  events  was  gone,  and  with  it  their  hope  of  making  money  out  of 
the  girl. — The  marketplace.  That  is,  the  forum,  where  the  city 
authorities,  who  in  a  'colony'  like  Philippi  were  styled  praetors,  held 
their  courts  of  justice. 

Ver.  20.     Unto  the  magistrates.     These  provincial  oflBcers  pre/ 


IG:  21,  22.]  ACTS  XVI.  237 

trates,  they  said,  These  men,  being  Jews,  do  exceed- 

21  ingly  trouble  our  city,  and  set  forth  customs  which  it 
is  not  lawful  for  us  to  receive,   or  to  observe,   being 

22  Romans.     And  the  multitude  rose  up  together  against 
them  :    and  the  ^magistrates  rent  their  garments  olf 

1  Gv.  prsdors. 

ferred,  and  usually  assumed,   the  well-known  Koman  appellation  of 
praetor. 

Ver.  21.  Set  forth  customs  which  it  is  not  lawful  for  us 
to  receive,  being  Romans.  '  The  accusation,'  Calvin  strikingly 
remarks,  '  was  craftily  composed :  on  the  one  hand  they  boast  of  the 
name  of  Romans,  than  which  no  name  was  more  honorable  ;  on  the 
other  hand,  they  excite  hatred  against  the  apostles  and  bi'ing  them 
into  contempt  by  calling  them  Jews,  which  name  was  at  that  time  in- 
famous (they  had  lately  been  banished  from  Rome  by  the  Emperor 
Claulius);  for  as  regards  religion  the  Romans  had  less  affinity  with  the 
Jews  than  with  any  other  nation.'  A  severe  law,  if  not  in  force  at  this 
time,  certainly  enacted  shortly  after,  forbade  any' one  not  a  Jew  under- 
going the  rite  of  circumcision.  Any  citizen  of  Rome  who  was  circum- 
cised, was  liable  to  perpetual  exile  and  the  confiscation  of  his  goods. 
A  master  who  allowed  his  slaves  to  submit  to  this  rite  exposed  himself 
to  a  like  penalty.  The  surgeon  who  circumcised  was  to  be  put  to 
death.  Even  a  Jew  who  caused  his  slaves  who  were  not  Jews  to  be 
circumcised,  was  guilty  of  a  capital  oflFence,  Tolerant  though  the  policy 
of  the  Roman  Empire  on  the  whole  was  to  foreign  religions,  still  if  the 
votaries  of  a  foreign  religion  showed  themselves  in  earnest  and  anxious 
tojeonvert  others  to  their  faith,  at  once  the  state  regarded  such  men  as 
public  ene-nies,  It  should  be  observed  that,  in  the  words  of  the  ac- 
cusation here,  the  Jew,  a  member  of  an  obnoxious  sect,  is  placed  in 
strong  opposition  to  the  Roman,  the  citizen  of  the  mighty  world 
empire. 

Ver.  22.  The  multitude  rose  up.  The  citizens  in  the  proud 
and  exclusive  Roman  town  of  Philippi  as  usual  were  at  once  aroused  by 
such  an  accusation.  The  original  cause  of  offence,  the  damage  done  to 
the  productive  property  of  the  slave-owners,  was  quite  lost  sight  of  in  the 
supposed  public  offence  committed  Ijy  the  Eastern  strangers. — The 
magistrates  rent  their  garments  off.  As  was  the  custom  when 
criminals  were  ordered  to  be  scourged,  they  commanded  the  lictors — the 
executioners — violently  to  pull  off  the  clothes  of  the  condemned.  The 
judicial  term  was,  '  Suramove  lictor  despoVa  verbera.' — Commanded 
to  beat  them.  The  custcn  was  with  the  Romans  to  inflict  blows 
with  rods  upon  the  naked  body.  In  his  catalogue  of  the  sufferings  he 
had  endured  (2  Cor.  11 :  25),  Paul  relates  how"' thrice  he  was  beaten 
with  rods,  and  of  the  Jews  five  times  had  received  forty  stripes  save 
one'  (2  Cor.  11  :  24;  Deut.  25:  3).     He  endured  here,  we  are  told, 


238  ACTS  XVI.  [16:  23-26. 

23  them,  and  commanded  to  beat  them  with  rods.  And 
when  they  had  laid  many  stripes  upon  them,  they  cast 
them  into  prison,    charging  the  jailor  to  keep  them 

24  safely  :  who,  having  received  such  a  charge,  cast  them 
into  the  inner  prison,  and   made  their  feet  fast  in  the 

25  stocks.  But  about  midnight  Paul  and  Silas  were  pray- 
ing and  singing  hymns  unto  God,  and  the  prisoners 

26  were  listening  to  them  ;  and  suddenly  there  was  a  great 
earthquake,  so  that  the  foundations  of  the  prison-house 

many  stripes,  there  being  in  the  Roman  practice  no  such  merciful  re- 
striction as  that  existing  in  the  hxw  of  Moses.  The  ai'rest,  punish- 
ment, and  subsequent  imprisonment  were  ordered  and  carried  out  with 
such  haste  that  the  plea  of  Roman  citizenship  urged  by  Paul  was  not 
listened  to,  even  if  made. 

Ver.  24.  The  inner  prison.  In  a  Roman  prison  there  were 
usually  three  distinct  parts — (1)  the  communiora,  where  the  pris- 
oners had  light  and  fresh  air:  (2)  the  interior  a,  shut  oif  by  strong 
iron  gates  with  bars  and  locks  ;  (3)  the  tullianum  or  dungeon.  The 
third  was  a  place  rather  of  execution  or  for  one  condemned  to  die. — 
Their  feet  fast  in  the  siocka.  An  instrument  of  torture  as  well 
as  of  confinemeut,  consisting  of  a  heavy  piece  of  wood  with  holes,  into 
which  the  feet  were  placed  in  such  a  manner  that  they  were  stretched 
widely  apart  so  as  to  cause  the  sufferer  great  pain.  Frequently  the 
stocks  had  five  holes,  two  for  the  feet,  two  for  the  hands,  and  one  for 
the  neck. 

Ver.  25.  But  about  midnight  Paul  and  Silas  were  praying 
and  singing.  '  Peter  sleeps  in  prison  between  the  two  soldiers; 
Paul  and  Silas  sing  in  the  stocks  :  they  cannot  raise  their  hands  or 
bend  their  knees  in  prayer,  but  they  can  lift  up  their  heart  and  voice 
to  heaven.  Such  is  the  power  of  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost'  (Words- 
worth). 'The  limbs,'  says  Tertullian,  '  do  not  feel  the  stocks  when 
the  heart  is  in  heaven.  '  *  The  prisoners  may  have  been  singing  one  of 
the  prayer-psalms  of  David,  or  one  of  the  hymns  which  Pliny  says  the 
Christians  used  to  sing  at  their  meetings  before  sunrise.  They  wero 
'  songs  in  the  night,'  and  seldom  had  joyous  voices  been  heard  under 
similar  circumstances  before  in  the  world.  But  <  hristianity  even  helps 
her  votaries  to  sing  while  the  flames  burn  around  about  them,  as  in  \\\q 
case  of  John  Hus  (d.  1415).  It  is  not  uninstructive  to  think  of  the  many 
Christian  confessors  who  in  the  ages  since  have  suffered  in  prison  for 
preaching  the  Gospel,  Latimer,  Tyndale,  Adoniram  Judson  in  Bur- 
mah,  etc. 

Ver.  26.  Suddenly  there  was  a  great  earthquake.  God 
interferes,  and  the  divine  power  which  commanded  the  earthquake 
loosed  the  chains  and  opened  the  barred -up  doors. 


16:  27-30.]  ACTS  XVI.  239 

were  shaken :  and   immediately   all  the  doors   were 

27  opened  ;  and  every  one's  bands  were  loosed.  And  the 
jailor  being  roused  out  of  sleep,  and  seeing  the  prison 
doors  open,  drew  his  sword,  and  was  about  to  kill 
himself,   supposing    that    the    prisoners  had  escaped. 

28  But  Paul  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Do  thyself 

29  no  harm  :  for  we  are  all  here.  And  he  called  for 
lights,  and  sprang  in,  and,  trembling   for   fear,  fell 

30  down  before  Paul  and  Silas,  and  brought  them  out, 
and  said.  Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?     And 

Ver.  27.     Drew  his  sword,  and  was  about  to  kill  himself. 

The  jailor,  seeing  the  doors  open,  naturally  concluded  that  his  pri- 
soners had  fled  ;  and  then  knowing  that  if  such  were  the  case  a  sure 
death  awaited  him  under  the  Roman  law,  determined  by  self-murder 
to  anticipate  his  doom.  Howson  remarks  that  Philippi  is  famous  in 
the  annals  of  suicide,  and  quotes  the  examples  of  a  large  number  of 
voluntary  deaths  after  the  great  battle  of  Philippi  had  destroyed  the 
hopes  of  the  old  Republicans.  Among  these  were  Brutus  and  Cassius. 
Self-murder  among  the  Romans  in  the  first  and  second  centuries  was 
fearfully  common,  and  was  approved  of  by  the  Stoic  philosophy. 
Many  of  the  noblest  of  the  Romans  ended  their  days  in  this  manner. 
It  was  the  common  resort  in  trouble  and  extreme  danger,  and  was  not 
unknown  in  cases  where  satiety  in  all  life's  pleasures  had  induced  the 
not  uncommon  feeling  of  utter  Aveariness  of  living. 

Ver.  28,  We  are  all  heie.  The  prisoners  had  been  listening  to 
the  hymns  of  Paul  and  Silas  when  the  earthquake  took  place,  and  feel- 
ing that  what  had  happened  was  supernatural  and  in  some  measure 
connected  with  the  Eastern  strangers,  they  made  no  efi"ort  to  escape. 
Chrysostom  suggests  that  the  prisoners  did  not  see  that  the  doors  were 
open. 

Ver.  30.  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  Hackt^tt,  in  an  ad- 
mirable note,  thus  discusses  this  famous  question  :  '  The  answer  of 
Paul  and  Silas  in  the  next  verse  shows  with  what  meaning  the  jailor 
proposed  this  question.  It  cannot  refer  to  any  fear  of  punishment 
from  the  magistrates ;  for  he  had  now  ascertained  that  the  prisoners 
were  all  safe,  and  that  he  was  in  no  danger  from  that  source.  Be- 
sides, had  he  felt  exposed  to  any  such  danger,  he  must  have  known 
that  Paul  and  Silas  had  no  power  to  protect  him,  it  would  have  bpen 
useless  to  come  to  them  for  assistance.  The  question  in  the  ether 
sense  appears  to  be  abrupt.  But  he  must  have  been  aware  that  these 
men  claimed  to  be  the  servants  of  God,  and  professed  to  teach  the  way 
of  salvation '  (ver.  17).  It  would  be  nothing  strange  if  during  the  sev- 
eral days  or  weeks  that  Paul  and  Silas  had  been  at  Philippi,  he  had 
heard  the  Gospel  from  their  own  lips,  had    been   one    among    those 


240  ACTS  XVI.  [16:  31-34. 

31  they  said,  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  thou  shalt 

32  be  saved,  thou  and  thy  house.  And  they  spake  the 
Word  of  the  ^Lord  unto  him,  with  all  that  were  in  his 

33  house.  And  he  took  them  the  same  hour  of  the 
night,  and  washed  their  stripes ;  and  was  baptized,  he 

34  and  all  his,  immediately.  And  he  brought  them  up  into 
his  house,  and  set  ^meat  before  them,  and  rejoiced 
greatly,  with  all  his  house,  ^having  believed  in  God. 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  read  God. 
2  Gr.  a  table.  ^  Gr.  having  believed  God. 

whom  they  had  urged  to  repent  and  lay  hold  of  .Christ.  And  now 
suddenly  an  event  had  taken  place,  which  convinced  him  in  a  moment 
that  the  things  which  he  had  heard  were  realities  ;  it  was  the  last  argu- 
ment, perhaps,  which  he  needed  to  give  certainty  to  a  mind  already 
inquiring,  hesitating.  He  came  trembling,  therefore,  before  Paul  and 
Silas,  and  asked  them  to  tell  him  again  more  fully  what  he  must  do  to 
be  saved  ?' 

Ver.  31.  *B3lieve  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved.  Of  how  many  sermons  have  not  these  words  been  the  text, 
and  to  how  n^any  souls  have  they  not  been  as  a  guiding  star  to  Christ ! 
Faith  is  here  made  the  only  condition  of  salvation.  This  faith  was  not 
a  bare  assent,  but  an  energy  in  the  heart,  changing  it,  or,  as  Peter  put 
it  before  the  Council  at  Jerusalem,  cleansing  it  (Acts  15:  9).  This 
doctrine,  that  we  are  saved  by  faith,  was  ever  prominent  in  Paul's 
theology,  as  it  was  afterwards  in  that  of  the  Reformer,  Martin  Luther. 
The  brief  comment  of  Alford  is  excellent :  '  We  may  remark,  in  the  face 
of  all  attempts  to  establish  a  development  of  Paul's  doctrine  according 
to  mere  external  cii'cumstances,  that  this  reply,  *'  Faith  in  Jesus 
only  can  save,"  was  given  before  any  one  of  his  extant  epistles  was 
written.' 

Ver.  32.  *  They  spake  the  word  of  the  Lord.  This  refers  to 
the  detailed  instruction  in  the  religion  of  Jesus,  which  Paul  and  Silas 
forthwith  proceeded  to  give,  explaining  the  practical  meaning  of  faith 
in  Jesus. 

Ver.  33.  "Washed  their  stripes ;  and  -w^as  baptized.  It  is 
not  fair  to  read  Ijetween  the  lines  that  the  baptism  here  was  by  sprink- 
ling. There  may  have  been  a  tank  in  the  prison.  Chi^ygostom  com- 
ments thus  : — '  The  jailor  washed  them,  and  he  was  washed  himself. 
He  washed  them  from  their  stripes,  and  he  in  turn  was  washed  from 
his  sins.'  This  Father  conjectures  that  Stephanas  (1  Cor.  I  :  16  ;  16: 
15,  17)  was  identical  with  the  Philippian  jailor. — Immediately. 
Delay  might  have  been  dangerous. 

Ver.  34.  Rejoiced  greatly.  His  faith  was  the  ground  of  his 
rejoicing.     It  could  be  paraphrased   thus :    '  He  with  all  his  house 


16:  35-37.]  ACTS  XYL  241 

Chapter  16:  35-40. 

The  Release  from  Prison. 

35      But  when  it  was  day,  the  ^magistrates  sent  the  ^ser- 

SGjeants,  saying,  Let  those   men   go.     And  the  jailor 

reported  the  words  to  Paul,  saying,  The  ^magistrates 

have  sent  to  let  you  go  :  now  therefore  come  forth,  and 

37  go  in  peace.     But  Paul  said  unto  them.  They  have 

beaten  us  publicly,  uncondemned,  men  that  are  Eomans, 

1  Gr.  praetors.  2  Gr.  Iklors. 

rejoiced  that  they  all  had  been  led  to  believe  in  God.'  The  jailor  had 
been,  of  course,  a  Pagan  until  his  meeting  with  Paul.  *  This  repre- 
sentation of  faith  in  Jesus,  as  the  precursor  of  joy,  is  frequent  in  the 
Acts  (Acts  8:  39,  etc.).  It  may  be  remarked  here  that  the  church  at 
Philippi,  of  which  the  jailor" s  household  and  that  of  Lydia  were  the 
nucleus,  were  very  dear  to  Paul.  From  his  imprisonment  in  Rome  he 
wrote  the  Ejnstle  to  the  Philippians,  which  is  one  of  the  most  cheerful  and 
buoyant  productions  in  all  literature.  There  he  urges  them  again  and 
again  to  '  rejoice  in  the  Lord,'  and  so  precious  are  the  memories  of  the 
Philippian  church  to  him,  that  he  calls  its  members  'his  joy  and 
crown'  (4:  1). 

Practical  Notes.    See  close  of  chapter. 

The  Release  from  Prison,  vers.  35-40. 

Ver.  35.  The  magistrates  sent  the  servants,  etc.  Perhaps 
they  had  been  aroused  by  the  earthquake,  etc.,  or,  as  is  more  probable, 
they  had  heard  that  Paul  and  Silas  were  Roman  citizens.  When  this 
fact  came  to  their  ears,  their  first  care  was  to  get  quietly  rid  of  the 
strangers.  They  knew  well  the  grave  trouble  which  might  ensue  if  it 
were  known  at  Rome  that  a  citizen  had  been  beaten  publicly.  The 
Porcian  and  Valerian  laws  exempted  all  citizens  of  Rome  from  stripes 
and  torture.  In  a  famous  passage  of  one  of  Cicero's  orations,  the 
following  statement  occurs  :  '  In  the  midst  of  the  forum  of  Messina  was 
a  citizen  of  Rome  scourged  with  rods.  In  the  midst  of  his  suffering, 
and  the  noise  of  the  rods,  the  only  word  which  was  wrung  from  the 
unhappy  man  was,  "  I  am  a  Roman  citizen  "  '  [In  Verreni),  And  again, 
in  the  same  oration,  he  writes  :  '  It  is  a  crime  to  bind  a  Roman  citizen, 
a  crime  to  scourge  him ;  it  is  almost  parricide  that  he  should  be 
executed.' 

Ver.  37.  Romans.  On  the  citizenship  of  Paul,  see  the  note  on 
chap,  22  :  25,  where  the  question  is  fully  discussed.  It  is  observable 
that  Paul,  who  five  times  {2  Cor.  11 :  24)  submitted  to  be  scourged  by 
his  own  countrymen,  never  there  pleaded  his  rights  as  a  Roman  citizen. 
To  the  Jews  he  became  as  a  Jew,  strictly  observing  (?.s  we  shall  see) 
their  ceremonial  customs,  and  submitting  to  their  Law. — *  Let  them 
16 


242  ACTS  XVI.  [16:  38-40. 

and  have  cast  us  into  prison ;  and  do  they  now  cast  us 
out  privily  ?  nay  verily ;  but  let  them  come  themselves 

38  and  bring  us  out.  And  the  ^Serjeants  reported  these 
words  unto  the  ^magistrates :   and  they  feared,  when 

39  they  heard  that  they  were  Romans ;  and  they  came 
and  besought  them ;  and  when  they  had  brought  them 

40  out,  they  asked  them  to  go  away  from  the  city.  And 
they  went  out  of  the  prison,  and  entered  into  the  house 
of  Lydia :  and  when  they  had  seen  the  brethren,  they 
^comforted  them,  and  departed. 

1  Gr.  lictors.  2  Qr.  prietors.  3  Or,  exhorted. 

come  themselves,  etc.  Paul  scorned  a  clandestine  release.  As  a 
Roman  he  had  a  right  to  an  apology  from  the  magistrates.  He  de- 
manded this  acknowledgment  not  only  to  thereby  teach  them  a  lesson 
and  to  inspire  the  little  church  with  courage,  but  because  his  rights  and 
his  manhood  had  been  violated.  The  whole  course  of  Paul  implies 
that  during  the  tumult  ending  in  his  imprisonment,  he  had  asserted 
his  Koman  citizenship.  The  insult  demanded  an  apology.  A  Christian 
has  a  right  to  the  protection  of  the  law  and  to  justice  none  the  less 
because  he  is  a  Christian. 

Ver.  38.  Serjeants.  Here,  as  in  ver.  35,  literally,  rod-bearers, 
lictors,  officials  who  attended  upon  the  magistrates  and  carried  out 
their  orders.  In  a  '  colony '  these  officers  carried  staves,  not  as  in 
Rome, /asces. — And  they  feared.  Hackett  quotes  from  Lucian  a 
case  of  false  imprisonment,  in  which  the  governor  of  a  province  not 
only  acknowledged  his  error,  but  paid  a  large  sum  of  money  to  those 
whom  he  had  injured,  in  order  to  bribe  them  to  be  silent. 

Ver.  40.  They  entered  into  the  house  of  Lydia.  Here 
they  met  the  believers  m  Jesus  once  more,  and  for  the  last  time  spoke 
to  them  the  words  of  life.  Timothy  and  Luke  seem  to  have  stayed 
behind  at  Philippi  when  Paul  and  Silas  left.  Some  have  supposed 
Luke  remained  at  Philippi  until  Paul  revisited  it  on  his  second  visit  to 
Macedonia.  After  Paul  left  Philippi,  the  writer  relates  the  story  of 
his  work  as  an  historian  in  the  third  person  until  the  second  meeting 
(Acts  20:  6),  after  which  he  writes  as  an  eye-witness  till  the  close  ot 
Acts. 

*  Practical  Notes. — He  who  condemns  sin  faithfully  may  expect  the  enmity  of  the 
■world  (ver.  19).  The  conversion  of  Lydia  aroused  no  tumult,  but  wlien  the  spirit  of 
divination  was  rebuked  and  thi^  source  of  their  '  gains '  removed  from  the  masters  of 
the  slave,  there  was  a  violent  outbreak  against  Paul  and  Silas. — The  Master  suffered 
and  the  disciple  is  no  better  than  he.  .Jesus  was  scourged,  so  too  his  ministers  at 
Philippi. — Faith  is  often  strongest  in  trial.  A  devout  Christian  can  even  sing  songs  in 
the  night  (ver.  25) .    A  prison  is  a  place  of  terror  for  the  criminal.    For  the  Christian 


17:  1.]  ACTS  XVII.  243 


ChaptePw  1 7  :   1-9. 

Paul  at   Thessalonica. 

17:  1     Now  when  they  had  passed  through  Amphipolis 
and  ApoUonia,  they  came  to  Thessalonica,  where  was 

it  mar  bo  luminous  with  light  and  become  thQ  very  gate  of  heaven.  The  soul  may 
soar  above  its  surroundings  \ypo\x  the  pinions  of  hope,  and  breathe  in  by  anticipation 
the  very  air  of  heaven  and  behold  its  glory. — It  is  the  person  that  sanctifies  the  place. 
Bedford  jail  is  sacred  because  John  Bunyan  was  imprisoned  there.  The  old  dungeon 
of  Philippi  was  turned  into  a  temple,  melodious  with  the  hymns  of  two  of  God's  ser- 
vants and  solemn  with  their  prayers. — This  is  the  victory  which  overcometh  the  world 
and  all  adverse  circumstances,  even  our  faith. — The  midnight  is  also  a  time  for  the 
Christian  to  watch.  The  Lord  may  come  at  cock-crowing  or  at  midnight.— Man  makes 
no  chains  too  strong  for  grace  to  bi  eak.  It  prc>claims  liberty  to  the  captive  and  the 
opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound  (Is.  61 :  1).  It  breaks  the  fetters  of  sin 
and  opens  the  prison  door  of  the  grave  ( Lisco). — The  temper  of  Christianity  is  to  forgive 
enemies  and  to  bless  foes.  Paul  and  Silas  had  no  duubt  in  their  prayers  in  the  mid- 
night remembered  those  that  ha<i  '  despitefully  used  them '  (Luke  C :  28).  They  had 
no  malediction  for  the  jailor,  but  only  words  of  comfort  and  blessing  (ver.  28). — The 
jailor's  question  is  the  supreme  question  for  every  soul,  'What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?* 
Eternal  life  hangs  upon  our  asking  it  and  obeying  the  divine  answer.  The  problems 
of  daily  food  and  raiment,  of  worldly  prosperity  and  advancement,  retreat  before  this 
one  in  the  degree  of  importance.  To  answer  it  Chri.st  came  into  the  world,  lived,  died 
and  rose  again. — Faith  is  the  only  condition  of  salvation  (ver.  31).  This  is  a  severe 
condition  for  those  who  cling  to  their  sins  and  evil  practices,  but  it  is  an  easy  condition, 
when  we  rememl>er  that  the  forgiveness  of  sins  demanded  the  sacrifice  of  the  sixitles  < 
Lamb  of  God.— The  faith  that  saves  is  not  a  mere  profession.  It  is  an  intelligent  and 
active  principle,  working  itself  out  in  obedience  to  God's  commands,  and  stimiilating 
us  to  live  close  to  Christ's  example. — Baptism,  the  sign  and  seal  of  forgiveness,  is  too 
important  a  matter  to  be  delayed  (ver.  33).  The  jailor  did  not  wait  for  a  convenient 
season.  The  time  was  precious  to  him.  He  wa';  baptized  immediately  .—The  release  of 
the  prisoners  is  a  prophecy  of  the  deliverance  of  the  Church  from  her  humiliations  and 
distresses.  The  civil  power  and  popular  turbulence  may  cry  down  the  Gospel  and  cast 
its  advocates  into  prison  or  ths  flames,  but  Christ  is  above  all  and  will  finally  bring 
triumph  out  of  apparent  defeat,  and  victory  out  of  the  grave  (Lechler). 

Pai/l  at  Thessalonica,  vers.  1-9. 

Ver.  1.  Amphipolis  and  Apollonia.  The  route  from  Philippi 
to  Amphipolis  was  thirty-three  miles  along  the  great  Egnatian  Way, 
which  was  a  continuation  of  the  Appian  Way.  Amphipolis  was  an 
inrportant  military  station  in  the  days  of  Paul :  its  former  name  was 
'  The  Nine  Ways,'  from  the  number  of  roads  which  met  at  this  point. 
Apollonia  was  an  unimportant  town  thirty  miles  from  Amphipolis. — 
Thessalonica.  A  very  important  commercial  centre,  about  one 
hundred  miles  south-west  of  Philippi.     Under  its  old  name,  Therma, 


244  ACTS  XVII.  [17:  2-4. 

2  a  synagogue  of  the  Jews :  and  Paul,  as  his  custom  was, 
went  in  unto  them,  and  for  three  ^  sabbath  days  reasoned 

3  with  them  from  the  scriptures,  opening  and  alleging, 
that  it  behoved  the  Christ  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  again 
from  the  dead ;  and  that  this  Jesus,  whom,  said  he,  I 

4  proclaim  unto  you,  is  the  Christ.  And  some  of  them 
were  persuaded,  and  consorted  with  Paul  and  Silas ; 

1  Or,  weeks. 

■we  read  of  it  in  Herodotus  and  Thucydides.  It  was  rebuilt  by  Cas- 
sander  and  renamed  after  his  wife,  Thessalonica,  sister  to  Alexander 
the  Great.  Before  the  building  of  Constantinople,  it  was  really  the 
capital  of  Greece  and  Illyricum.  Its  present  name  is  Saloniki,  and  it 
is  the  second  city  of  European  Turkey,  and  has  the  considerable 
population  of  70,000  inhabitants,  of  whom  30,000  are  Jews  and  10,000 
Christians. — *  Where  "was  a  synagogue.  Special  mention  of  the 
synagogue  in  Thessalonica.  In  Philippi  there  was  none.  These  places 
of  Avorship  Avere  a  decided  advantage  to  Paul  iji  his  work,  and  the 
writer  of  the  Acts  seldom  fails  to  mention  their  existence  wherever 
Paul  found  one  (See  vers.  10,  17,  etc.). 

Ver.  2.  Paul,  as  his  custom  was.  Paul  imitated  his  Master, 
who,  we  read,  '  as  his  custom  was,  entered  into  the  synagogue  on  the 
sabbath  day'  (Luke  4:  16). — Three  sabbath  days.  These  three 
weeks  were  doubtless  devoted  to  his  fellow-countrymen,  but  Paul  must 
have  resided  in  the  great  city  for  a  longer  time.  He  left  behind  him 
the  nucleus  of  a  flourishing  Christian  community,  chiefly  composed  of 
Gentile  converts,  to  which  he  afterwards  addressed  his  second  Epistle 
to  the  Thessalonian  chui'ch.  Paul  worked  with  his  own  hands  for  his 
support  while  preaching  and  teaching  there  (1  Thess.  2  :  9).  During 
his  stay  he  twice  received  gifts  from  the  church  at  Philippi  (Phil, 
4:  16).  As  the  two  cities  were  a  hundred  miles  apart,  this  would 
imply  a  lengthened  sojourn. — From  the  scriptures.  When  Paul 
spr  ke  of  Jesus  to  the  Jews,  it  is  noticeable  he  never  appealed  to  his 
miracles,  but  always  referred  them  to  their  own  Scriptures^ every  letter 
of  which  they  valued  as  divine. 

Ver.  3.  Opening  and  alleging.  Opening— thtit  is,  p.xpoundiny, 
unfolding  their  sense.  The  second  word  is  used  for  bringing  forward 
proofs.  Paul  showed  how  the  Scriptures  contained  two  great  truths — 
first,  that  the  promised  Messiah  must  suffer  death  and  rise  again  ; 
and  second,  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  who  had  been  rejected  at  the  hands 
of  the  rulers,  was  unmistakably  the  Messiah.  It  was  necessary  for  the 
first  preachers  to  show  that  the  0.  Test,  foretold  a  suffering  Messiah,  for 
the  .Jews  had  set  their  hopes  exclusively  upon  a  reigning  Messiah, 

Ver.  4.  Some  of  them  -were  persuaded.  The  work  of  Paul 
in  the  synagogue  was  not  unsuccessful.  In  1  Thess.  1 :  9,  he  also 
alludes  to  many  members  of  the  church  in  Thessalonica   who   were 


17:5,6.]  ACTS  XVII.  245 

and  of  the  devout  Greeks  a  great  multitude,  and  of  the 

5  chief  women  not  a  few.  But  the  Jews,  being  moved 
with  jealousy,  took  unto  them  certain  vile  fellows  of 
the  rabble,  and  gathering  a  crowd,  set  the  city  on  an 
uproar ;  and  assaulting  the  house  of  Jason,  they  sought 

6  to  bring  them  forth  to  the  people.  And  when  they 
found  them  not,  they  dragged  Jason  and  certain  breth- 
ren before  the  rulers  of  the  city,  cr}4ng.  These  that 
have  turned  4he  world  upside  down  are  come  hither 

1  Gr.  the  inhabited  earth. 

Gentiles  and  had  been  idolaters.— The  devout  Greeks.  Some  of 
these  were  proselytes,  others  religious  Gentiles,  who,  "without  conform- 
ing to  all  the  Jewish  rites  and  customs,  worshipped  with  the  Jews  in 
the  synagogue  services. 

Ver.  5.  *The  Jews,  being  moved  with  jealousy.  The 
popular  tumult  against  the  missionaries  again  started  with  the  Jews  as 
had  been  the  case  before  on  Pauls  first  missionai-y  journey  at  Antioch 
in  Pisidia,  etc.  (Acts  13  :  50).  It  is  also  implied  in  these  words  that 
the  larger  number  of  the  converts  were  Gentiles. — Vile  fellows  of 
the  rabble.  The  question  has  been  asked  why  the  Jews  sought  such 
coadjutors.  They  were  strangers  ;  and  to  effect  such  a  purpose  as  that 
related  here,  they  needed  the  help  of  some  of  the  native  inhabitants. 
The  word  rendered  here  '  of  the  rabble '  is  a  word  not  unfrequent  in 
classical  Greek.  In  Rome  they  were  termed  suhroatrani.  Plautus 
would  term  them  suhhasilicani.  The  modern  word  equivalent  would  be 
canaille.  The  loungers  who  have  no  definite  business,  who  crowd  the 
market-place  and  other  busy  resorts,  ready  for  any  j^iece  of  business 
however  rough  and  cruel,  are  the  class  here  spoken  of. — Jason.  He 
was  perhaps  a  Grecian  Jew,  whose  name  Jesus  or  Joshua  had  been 
changed  into  the  Greek  from  Jason  (1  Mace.  8  :  17  ;  2  Mace.  11  :  23). 
The  Apostle  and  Silas  lodged  in  the  house  of  Jason  during  their  stay 
at  Thessalonica. 

Ver.  6.  Before  the  rulers  of  the  city.  Literally,  the  polii- 
archs.  Thessalonica  was  a  '  free  city.'  This  privilege  of  'freedom' 
was  only  bestowed  by  Rome  upon  certain  favored  cities.  In  this  case 
it  was  a  reward  for  the  side  the  city  had  taken  when  Augustus  and 
Antony  had  warred  with  Brutus  and  Cassius  'b.  c.  42).  A  free  city 
was  self-governed.  The  power  of  life  and  death,  for  instance,  so  jeal- 
ously withheld  from  the  Jerusalem  Jews,  belonged  to  the  local  magis- 
trates. An  inscription  has  been  found  over  an  ancient  arch  at 
Thessalonica  of  a  date  older  than  the  first  century  of  our  era,  which 
contains  the  names  of  seven  of  the  Thessalonian  magistrates,  whom  it 
calls  politarchs,  thus  confirming  in  a  striking  manner  the  accuracy  of 
the  writer  of  the  Acts. — *That  have  turned  the  world  upside 


246  ACTS  XVII.  [17:  7-9. 

7  also ;   whom  Jason  hath  received :   and  these  all  act 
contrary  to  the  decrees  of  Caesar,  saying  that  there  is 

8  another  king,  one  Jesus.     And  they  troubled  the  mul- 
titude and  the  rulers  of  the  city,  when  they  heard  these 

9  things.     And  when  they  had  taken  security  from  Jason 
and  the  rest,  they  let  them  go. 

down.  These  words,  Alford  remarks,  presuppose  some  rumor  of 
Christianity  and  its  spread  having  before  reached  the  inhabitants  of 
Thessalonica.  They  uttered  a  great  truth  without  knowing  what  they 
said.  The  religion  of  Christ  is  revolutionary.  Its  aim  is  to  overthrow 
selfishness  and  cruelty,  idolatry  and  all  forms  of  immorality.  What 
human  depravity  has  accomplished,  it  seeks  to  abolish.  Wherever  the 
Gospel  goes,  it  destroys  superstitious  rites,  puts  away  false  religions, 
and  calls  upon  men  to  forsake  the  service  of  idols  and  the  world,  and 
turn  unto  the  living  God. 

Ver.  7.  Act  contrary  to  the  decrees  of  Caesar.  The  Roman 
emperor  whose  jurisdiction  extended  over  all  Greece.  The  complaint 
did  not  touch  the  real  ground  of  discontent,  viz.  the  supposed  injury 
which  the  teaching  of  Paul  would  do  to  their  religion.  It  was  sub- 
stantially the  same  charge  which  was  resorted  to  at  Philippi  (Acts  16: 
20).  The  Jews  accused  Paul  and  his  companion  with  a  political 
oifence  of  a  like  natui-e  to  the  crime  of  which  Jesus  was  accused  before 
Pilate.  It  was  treason  against  the  empire.  The  decrees  here  referred 
to  were  the  Julian  leges  Majestatis. — Another  king,  one  Jesus. 
The  royal  state  of  Christ's  second  advent  seems  to  have  been  a  favorite 
topic  with  Paul  in  his  preaching  in  this  city.  We  gather  this  from  his 
two  epistles  to  the  Thessalonians,  in  which  doubtless  the  salient  points 
of  the  oral  teaching  of  the  Apostle  are  briefly  reviewed.  Compare, 
among  many  passages,  such  statements  as  are  found  in  1  Thess.  2:  12; 
2  Thess.  1 :  5.  Gloag  suggests  that  the  title  '  Lord '  so  frequently  given 
by  Christians  to  their  Master  may  have  given  occasion  to  the  charge, 
so  often  apparently  repeated  that  the  disciples  of  Christ  were  really 
asserting  his  claim  to  the  kingly  office. 

Ver.  9.  Security  from  Jason  and  the  rest.  The  rest  included 
the  believers  who  had  been  arrested  at  the  time  of  the  tumult  (ver.  6). 
The  security  was  perhaps  a  sum  of  money  deposited  by  Jason  as  bail 
vouching  that  the  peace  of  the  city  should  not  be  violated,  or,  as  some 
suppose,  that  Paul  and  Silas  should  leave  the  city  (Neander). 

Practical  Notes.    See  close  of  next  section. 


17:  10-12.]  ACTS  XVII.  247 


Chapter  17:  10-15. 

Paul  at  Beroea. 

10  And  the  brethren  immediately  sent  away  Paul  and 
Silas  by  night  unto  Beroea :  who  when  they  were  come 

11  thither  went  into  the  synag^oo^iie  of  the  Jews.  Now 
these  were  more  noble  than  those  in  Thessalonica,  in 
that  they  received  the  word  with  all  readiness  of  mind, 
examining  the  scriptures  daily,  whether  these  things 

12  were  so.  Many  of  them  therefore  believed ;  also  of 
the  Greek  women  of  honourable  estate,  and  of  men, 

Paul  at  Beroea,  vers.  10-15. 

Ver.  10.  *The  brethren  immediately  sent  away  Paul  and 
Silas  by  night.  They  were  evidently  fearing  another  outbreak  or 
clandestine  violence  on  the  part  of  the  Jewish  agitators.  We  naturally 
think  of  Paul's  former  escape  from  violence  at  Damascus  (Acts  9:  25), 
which  also  occurred  under  cover  of  the  night. — Beroea.  A  city  of  no 
great  fame  in  history,  sixty  miles  southwest  of  Thessalonica.  Its 
modern  name  is  Verria,  or  Kara-Yerria,  a  corruption  of  the  old  appel- 
lation, and  contains  about  18,000  inhabitants.  Paul  seems  to  have  had 
marked  success  there  among  the  Jewish  population ;  but,  strange  to 
say,  the  name  of  Beroea  is  never  mentioned  by  him  in  any  of  his 
epistles. 

Ver.  11.  These  were  more  noble.  The  word  referred  in  the 
first  place  to  birth,  but  here  refers  to  disposition  or  character.  They 
were  less  narrowed  by  national  prejudices  than  their  brethren  of 
Thessalonica. — Examining  the  scriptures  daily.  The  genuine, 
honest  spirit  of  inquiry  is  allied  to  true  Gospel  teaching.  The  nobility 
of  soul  which  Paul's  chronicler  so  highly  praises  in  the  men  of  Beroea, 
consisted  not  merely  in  their  readiness  of  mind  to  receive  the  word, 
but  also  in  the  patient  spirit  of  inquiry  which  led  them  daily  to  read 
the  Scriptures  to  see  whether  those  things — Paul  told  them  of — were 
so. 

Ver.  12.  ^Many  of  them  therefore  believed.  There  was  a 
close  connection  between  their  faith  and  the  study  of  the  Scriptures. 
Men  cannot  believe  unless  they  hear  (Rom.  10 :  14).  A  patient  study  of 
the  Gospel  usually  leads  to  the  acceptance  of  it.  There  is  little  hope  for 
those  who  in  indifference  close  their  ears  to  its  sound. — *  "Women  of 
honourable  estate.  The  frequent  mention  of  women  among  the 
early  converts  is  worthy  of  particular  notice,  as  showing  the  honor  in 
which  they  were  held  by  the  Christian  teachers.  Lydia  was  the  first 
European  convert,  at  least  outside  of  Rome,  and  in  Thessalonica  not  a 
few  believed  (ver.  4).      It  must  be  remembered,  however,   that  at 


243  ACTS  XVII.  [17:13--16. 

13  not  a  few.  But  when  the  Jews  of  Thessalonica  had 
knowledge  that  the  word  of  God  w^as  proclaimed  of 
Paul  at  Beroea  also,  they  came  thither  likewise,  stirring 

14  up  and  troubling  the  multitudes.  And  then  imme- 
diately the  brethren  sent  forth  Paul  to  go  as  far  as  to 

15  the  sea :  and  Silas  and  Timothy  abode  there  still.  But 
they  that  conducted  Paul  brought  him  as  far  as  Athens : 
and  receiving  a  commandment  unto  Silas  and  Timothy 
that  they  should  come  to  him  with  all  speed,  they 
departed. 

Antioch  in  Pisidia,  the  devout  women  were  active  in  the  assault  upon 
Paul. 

Ver.  13.  They  came  thither  likewise.  These  short  notices  in 
the  Acts  of  the  steady,  unwearied  pursuit  of  Paul  from  city  to  city,  give 
us  a  hint  of  that  restless,  bitter  hatred  with  which  he  was  regarded  by 
the  majority  of  his  countrymen. 

Ver.  14.  Silas  and  Timothy  abode  there  still.  Silas  appears 
up  to  this  time  never  to  have  left  Paul,  but  Timothy  had  been  left 
behind  at  Philippi ;  although  not  mentioned  as  with  Paul  at  Thessalo- 
nica, it  is  almost  certain  that  he  was  Avitli  his  master  during  a  portion 
at  least  of  the  first  memorable  visit.  He  appears  to  have  been  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  Christian  congregation  there,  and  in  both 
the  Epistles  of  Paul  to  the  church  of  Thessaionica,  he  is  joined  in  the 
greeting  with  Silas  and  Paul.  It  has  been  suggested  that  Timothy 
joined  Paul  again  at  Thessalonica,  bringing  with  him  the  contributions 
and  help  from  the  Philippian  Christians. 

*  Practical  Notes. — The  proofs  and  substance  of  Christianity  are  contained  in  the 
Scriptures  (ver.  2).  The  first  preachers  tased  their  arguments  that  Jesus  was  the 
Christ  upon  the  Old  Testament.  Any  otlier  method  of  procedure  would  have  failed 
entirely  to  arrest  the  attention  or  win  the  confidence  of  the  Jews. — Christianity  is  not 
a  kingdom  of  this  world.  It  won  its  way  in  the  Apostolic  age  by  a  simple  presenta- 
tion, by  word  of  mouth  of  the  claims  and  power  of  Christ.  Its  servants  do  not  fight. 
Its  object  is  conquest,  but  not  with  the  sword.  It  has  its  victories,  but  they  are  blood- 
less. Its  battle  ground  is  the  heart.  Its  victory  is  over  evil  appetites  and  vicious 
propensities.  The  enemies  of  Christ  were  wrong  when  they  represented  him  as 
desiring  to  overthrow  the  empire  of  Caesar  and  proclaim  himself  king  (Luke  23:  2). 
They  here  aga^n  resort  to  substantially  the  same  charge  at  Thessalonica,  that  Christ's 
kingdom  is  a  kingdom  of  this  M'orld.— The  Gospel  is  a  revolutionizing  force  (ver.  6). 
It  disturbs  the  kingdom  of  Satan  and  transforms  the  conduct  and  life.  It  sets  men 
thinking  about  heavenly  things,  and  impels  them  to  give  up  sinful  pursuits.  The 
missionaries  meant  to  '  turn  the  world  upside  down '  by  turning  it  unto  the  living  God. 
— Only  good  may  be  expected  to  come  from  the  study  of  the  Scriptures  (ver.  11).  The 
neglect  of  them  is  more  to  be  feared  than  anything  else.  It  is  the  most  subtle  and 
successful  device  of  Satan  to  keep  men  out  of  the  kingdom,  by  keeping  them  away 


17:  16.]  ACTS  XVII.  249 


Chapter  17:  16-22. 

Paul  at  Athens, 

16      Xow  while  Paul  waited  for  them  at  Athens,  his 
spirit  was  provoked  within  him,  as  he  beheld  the  eity 

from  the  preachiug  and  reading  of  the  Word. — Well  has  a  precedent  been  found  in  tlie 
case  of  the  studious  Berceans  for  the  free  use  of  the  Bible  by  the  laity.  It  is  not  a 
book  for  the  priest  alone,  as  the  Roman  Catholics  hold,  but  a  book  for  the  people.— 
Reason  also  has  its  rights.  It  is  its  privilege  to  examine  the  credentials  of  Christianity. 
Faith  is  not  strong  for  being  blind  and  uninformed.  A  man  has  a  right  to  expect  to 
be  convinced  before  he  believes. 

Faul  at  Athens,  vers.  16-22. 

Ver.  16.  Athens.  The  once  famous  centre  of  Greek  thought  and 
culture,  long  the  dominant  power  among  the  states  of  ancient  Greece. 
In  40  B.  c,  it  became  with  Achaia  a  province  of  the  Roman  empire. 
Rome,  in  memory  of  its  previous  splendid  history,  accorded  it  the 
privileges  above  discussed  (ver.  6),  of  'a  free  city.'  The  desolations 
of  war,  the  ravages  of  time,  and  the  degeneracy  of  the  people,  had 
destroyed  much  of  the  beauty  and  the  glory  of  this  renowned  seat  of 
culture  and  the  arts,  but  the  general  appearance  of  Athens  in  the  time 
of  Paul  must  still  have  been  imposing.  Although  there  was  no  energy 
left  among  her  people,  Athens  still  preserved  her  undying  memories 
and  tlie  stately  buildings  which  she  had  erected  in  the  days  of  her 
splendor.  One  impression,  however,  oaly  is  recorded  as  having  been 
made  upon  Paul's  mind.  His  feelings  were  all  stirred  within  him  by 
the  evidences  of  idolatry.  Wherever  he  turned  he  beheld  statues  of 
deified  heroes,  and  temples,  and  sanctuaries  of  gods.  The  city  was 
full  of  idols. 

Ver.  16.  His  spirit  was  provoked  within  him.  This  desig- 
nates a  feeling  akin  to  indignation.  Paul  had  heretofore  been 
combatting  indifferentism  rather  than  anything  like  a  fervid  spirit  of 
idolatry  ;  but  here  he  seemed  to  be  in  a  different  atmosphere.  Athens 
was  especially  proud  of  its  idolatrous  images,  and  practised  with  pe- 
culiar zeal  an  idolatrous  worship.  The  comment  of  Renan,  in  the 
course  of  a  splendid  and  lifelike  picture  of  the  Athens  of  the  first 
century,  on  Paul's  indignation  at  the  idolatry  of  Athens,  is  singular: 
'  Oh,  beautiful  and  chaste  images,  true  gods  and  goddesses,  tremble ! 
He  is  here  who  has  lifted  up  against  you  the  hammer.  The  fatal 
word  has  been  uttered.  You  are  idols.'  In  his  zeal  for  the  worship 
of  art  the  brilliant  sceptic  has  overlooked  the  fact  that  the  Apostle's 
indignation  was  not  that  of  an  iconoclast,  but  of  one  who  denounced 
an  impure  and  cursed  worship. — The  city  fall  of  idols.  This 
description  was  singularly  appropriate.  Other  writers,  writing  in  a  dif- 
ferent spirit  to  Paul,  could  not  help  noticing  this  striking  peculiarity 
in  the  city.     Petronius   remarks  satirically  that  at  Athens  one  could 


250  ACTS  XVII.  [17:17,18. 

17  full  of  idols.  So  he  reasoned  in  the  synagogue  with 
the  Jews  and  the  devout  persons,  and  in  the  market- 

18  place  every  day  with  them  that  met  him.  And  certain 
also  of  the  Epicurean  and  Stoic  philosophers  encoun- 
tered him.     And  some  said,  What  would  this  babbler 

find  a  god  easier  than  a  man.  Another  writes  that  it  was  almost  im- 
possible for  one  to  make  his  way  thi'ough  these  idols,  Pausanias  states 
that  Athens  had  more  images  than  all  tlie  rest  of  Greece  put  together. 
Xenophon's  expression  is  the  strongest  when  he  calls  the  city  'one 
great  altar,  one  great  offering  to  the  gods.' 

Ver.  17.  He  reasoned  in  the  synagogue  with  the  Jews, 
.  .  and  in  the  marketplace  every  day.  Here  Paul,  no  doubt,  on 
account  of  the  intense  feeling  stirred  up  by  the  sight  of  all  these  idols, 
deviated  from  his  usual  practice  of  first  exclusively  addressing  him- 
self to  Jews  and  proselytes.  He  went  to  the  market  place  or  Agora, 
which  in  every  Greek  city  was  a  general  place  of  meeting  and  discus- 
sion, and  debated  with  the  Athenians. 

Ver.  18.  Epicurean  and  Stoic  philosophers.  Epicurus, 
founder  of  the  philosophic  sect  which  beai'S  his  name,  was  born  in 
Samos,  B.  c.  342.  Tlie  Epicurean,  while  admitting  the  existence  of 
gods,  regarded  them  as  paying  no  attention  to  men  and  the  affairs  of 
this  world.  They  rejected  the  idea  of  Providence  and  accountability, 
and  denied  the  life  to  come.  They  were  virtually  atheists.  The  real 
teaching  of  the  masters  of  the  sect  was,  that  a  wise  man  should  enjoy 
to  the  uttermost  the  things  of  this  life,  for  the  soul  being  material  was 
annihilated  after  death.  Epicurus  is  believed  himself  to  have  taught 
a  higher  ideal  of  happiness,  but  very  soon  his  followers  reduced  his 
system  to  what  was  in  fact  a  teaching  of  gross  sensualism.  There 
practical  philosophy  was  embodied  in  the  sentence,  '  Let  us  eat  and 
drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die'  (See  1  Cor.  15:  32).  Zeno,  a  native 
of  Cyprus,  the  founder  of  the  Stoic  school  of  philosophy,  lived  and 
taught  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fourth  century  and  in  the  earlier 
years  of  the  third  century  before  Christ.  The  Stoics  condemned  the 
worship  of  images  and  the  use  of  temples,  but  they  in  some  degree 
accepted  popular  mythology  by  considering  the  various  gods  as  de- 
velopments of  the  universal  world-God.  Everything  was  governed  by 
an  iron  destiny,  to  which  God  Himself  was  subject.  They  believed 
only  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul  by  imagining,  it  was  ultimately 
absorbed  in  Deity  ;  but  even  this  absorption  they  seem  to  have  taught 
was  only  to  be  the  lot  of  the  wise  and  the  good.  The  ideal  of  life, 
however,  proposed  to  the  disciples  of  Zeno  was  a  far  higher  one  than 
that  urged  by  the  Epicureans.  They  extolled  virtue,  and  urged  that 
men  might  become  the  masters  of  circumstances.  The  true  Stoic 
aimed  at  a  proud  self-denial,  an  austere  apathy,  untouched  by  human 
passion,  unmoved  alike  by  joy  or  sorrow.     *  Stoicism  sought  after  un- 


17:  19. j  ACTS  XVII.  251 

say  ?  other  some,  He  seemeth  to  be  a  setter  forth  of 

strange  ^  gods  :  because  he  preached  Jesus  and  the  res- 

19  urrection.     And  they  took  hold  of  him,  and  brought 

him  -unto  ^the  Ai'eopagus,  saying,  May  we  know  what 

1  Gr.  demons.  -  Or,  before.  3  Or,  the  hill  of  Man. 

disturbed  complacency  of  mind  in  the  midst  of  all  vicissitudes.  The 
system,  however,  produced  pride  of  intellect  and  scorn  of  the  mul- 
titude. '  Epicureanism  was  the  glorification  of  lust.  Stoicism  the 
apotheosis  of  suicide'  (Farrarj. — What  V70uld  this  babbler  say? 
'An  idle  prater"  (Hackett).  This  word  probably  denotes  a  seed- 
gatherer,  such  as  a  sparrow  or  rook.  Aristophanes  thus  uses  the 
word  in  his  Birds,  232  :  '  A  babbler,  one  who  jjicks  i/p  bits  of  news 
and  information  and  retails  them  to  others.' — *A  setter  forth  of 
strange  gods.  This  was  the  very  charge  upon  which  Socrates,  the 
great  Athenian  philosopher,  was  arraigned  and  imprisoned.  He  com- 
mitted suicide  in  prison  in  3vt9  b.  c. — "^He  preached  Jesus  and 
the  resurrection.  This  gives  the  explanation  of  the  previous  clause. 
They  gathered  that  Paul  believed  Jesus  to  be  divine.  It  has  been 
supposed  by  some  (Chrysostom,  Selden,  Baur,  and  others, )  that  they 
also  gathered  that  Paul  was  representing  the  '  Resurrection'  as  a  god. 
But  we  can  hardly  conceive  of  the  Apostle's  using  language  so  obscure 
that  this  meaning  could  be  derived  from  it  (Meyer,  Hackett,  Farrar, 
etc.).  Paul  no  doubt  had  been  preaching  about  the  resurrection  of 
Christ,  and  they  rightly  associated  Christ's  claims  to  divinity  with 
that  event.  The  term  '  resurrection '  in  the  passage,  however,  is 
general. 

Ver.  19.  "The  Areopagus.  This  was  the  name  of  a  hill  in 
Athens,  as  well  as  of  a  judicial  court  which  held  its  sittings  there. 
The  hill  was  famous  as  the  spot  where,  according  to  tradition.  Ares  or 
Mars,  the  god  of  war,  was  brought  to  trial  by  the  gods  for  murder. 
'  A  temple  of  the  god  was  built  on  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and  an  addi- 
tional solemnity  was  given  to  the  place  as  the  site  of  the  sanctuary  of 
the  Furies,  in  a  broken  cleft  of  the  rock  immediately  below  the  judges' 
seats'  (Howson,  St.  Paul).  The  court  of  the  Areopagus,  which  ex- 
isted as  a  criminal  tribunal  before  the  time  of  the  Athenian  lawgiver, 
Solon  (d.  B.  c.  5G0),  was  one  of  the  most  venerable  and  august  judi- 
cial bodies.  Was  Paul  formally  arraigned  before  this  court  of  the 
Areopagus  ?  This  question  has  been  answered  in  the  affirmative  by 
some  (Chrysostom,  Baur,  etc.),  but  denied  by  the  great  majority  of 
critics  and  commentators  (Cah-in,  Neander,  Meyer,  Winer,  Hackett, 
etc.).  The  arguments  against  a  formal  trial  are  weighty.  The  alleged 
purpose  given  for  taking  Paul  unto  the  Areopagus  was  to  ascertain 
the  nature  of  his  teaching.  None  of  the  formalities  of  a  trial  are  re- 
ferred to,  and  the  whole  scene  was  closed  with  expressions  of  dissent 
Or  courteous  leave-taking,  but  not  with  a  formal  judicial  decision. 


252  ACTS  XVII.  [17:  20-22. 

20  this  new  teaching  is,  which  is  spoken  by  thee  ?  For 
thou  br ingest  certain  strange  things  to  our  ears :  we 

21  would  know  therefore  what  these  things  mean.  (Now 
all  the  Athenians  and  the  strangers  sojourning  there 
\spent  their  time  in  nothing  else,  but  either  to  tell  or 

22  to  hear  some  new  thing).  And  Paul  stood  in  the 
midst  of  the  Areoj^agus,  and  said, 

1  Or,  had  leisure  for  nothing  else. 

Luke  would  hardly  have  omitted  referring  to  this  had  a  decision  been 
rendered.  Some  look  upon  the  proceeding  as  having  been  a  prelimi- 
nary and  informal  investigation  (Plumptre).  That  view,  however,  is 
the  best  one  which  regards  the  object  of  the  movement  to  bring  Paul  to 
an  elevated  place  where  he  could  be  conveniently  heard  by  a  large 
number  of  those  inquisitive  Athenians  (ver.  21)  who  always  had  time 
to  listen  (Meyer,  Hackett,  etc.)  So  far  as  the  word  itself  is  concerned, 
it  does  not  decide  whether  Paul  was  merely  taken  up  to  the  hill  of  the 
Areopagus  or  before  the  court. 

Ver.  21.  The  strangers  sojourning  there.  Although  the 
ancient  glory  which  the  schools  of  Athens  enjoyed  was  a  good  deal 
dimmed  at  this  particular  time,  still  the  city  was  the  resoi't  of  num- 
bers of  young  Italians  and  others,  for  the  purposes  of  education  and 
study. — Spent  their  time  in  nothing  else,  but  either  to  tell 
or  to  hear  some  new  thing.  Bengel  paraphrases  thus :  '  New 
things  were  ever  becoming  stale,  and  newer  things  were  sought  for.' 
Alford  paraphrases  the  emphatic  Greek  Kaivorepou  by  '  the  very  latest 
news.'  Demosthenes  rebukes  this  insatiable  craving  of  the  Athenians 
after  news  in  the  following  terms :  '  Tell  me  whether  going  up  and 
down  the  market-place  and  asking  each  other,  "Is  there  any  news?" 
is  the  business  of  your  life.' 

Ver.  22.  In  the  midst  of  the  Areopagus.  This  may  mean 
on  the  hill,  or  in  the  midst  of  the  court.  Wordsworth  thus  describes 
the  place :  '  Sixteen  stone  steps,  cut  in  the  rock  at  its  south-east  angle, 
lead  up  to  the  hill  of  the  Areopagus  from  the  valley  of  the  Agora  or 
market-place,  where  Paul  had  been  disputing  (ver.  17).  Immediately 
above  these  steps  is  a  bench  of  stone,  excavated  in  the  limestone  rock, 
forming  three  sides  of  a  quadrangle.  There  the  Areopagites  sat.  .  .  . 
Here,  placed  as  he  was  in  the  centre  of  this  platform  in  the  very  heart 
of  Atliens,  with  its  statues,  and  altars,  and  temples  of  deities  around 
him,  Paul  might  well  say  the  city  was  "crowded  with  idols."  It  was 
here  that  he  proclaimed  the  religion  of  the  future  (though  they  guessed 
it  not  then)  in  the  face  of  the  dying  religion  of  the  past. 


17:  23.]  ACTS  XVII.  253 

Chapter  17  :  22-34. 

PauVs  Speech  on  Mars^  Hill. 

Ye  men  of  Athens,  in  all  things  I  perceive  that  je 

23  are  somewhat  ^superstitious.*     For  as  I  passed  along, 

and  observed  the  objects  of  your  worship,  I  found  also 

an  altar  with  this  inscription,  ^TO  AX  rxKxowx  god. 

AYhat  therefore  ye  worship  in   ignorance,  this  set  I 

*  For  '  somewhat  superstitious '  read  '  very  religious,'  and  put  the  present  text  in  the 
marg. — Airu  Com. 

1  Or,  religious.  2  Or,  TO  THE  UNKNOWN  GOD. 

PauV s  Speech  on  Mars'   Hill,  vers.  22-34. 

Ver.  22.  *  Ye  men  of  Athens.  The  appearance  of  Paul  at  Athens 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  events  in  the  history  of  Christian!  y.  It 
produces  an  impression  of  unusual  sublimity.  This  is  due  not  to  any 
great  results  which  followed  the  Apostle's  efforts,  but  arises  solely 
from  the  contrast  between  two  forces  differing  in  their  nature  and  the 
contrast  between  the  Apostle  of  revaaled  truth  and  the  surroundings 
which  had  witnessed  the  highest  achievements  of  the  human  intellect. 
The  address  of  Paul  is  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  culminating  points 
in  the  history  of  the  spread  of  revealed  truth  in  the  world.  Jeru- 
salem, Athens,  Rome — these  three  cities  stand  out  respectively  as 
the  representatives  of  religion,  intellect,  and  power.  "With  Jerusalem 
Paul's  name  is  not  so  characteristically  associated  as  the  other  Apostles. 
With  Athens  and  Rome  the  case  is  different.  He  only  went  to 
Rome  as  a  prisoner,  but  his  words  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Christians  of 
that  city  display  the  attitude  and  temper  of  Christianity  towards  the 
dominion  and  power  of  the  mightiest  empire  the  world  has  ever  seen. 
'  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel,  for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  sal- 
vation to  everyone  that  belicveth'  (Rom,  1 :  16).  The  name  of  Athens 
was  synonymous  with  the  most  graceful  conceptions  of  art,  and  the 
profoundest  study  of  philosophy.  There  human  wisdom  had  sat 
enthroned.  All  succeeding  generations  and  civilized  nations  have 
acknowledged  her  intellectual  supremacy.  Athens  was  the  mother  of 
the  fine  arts,  the  patron  of  poetry,  the  founder  of  systems  of  philoso- 
phy. Historians  like  Herodotus  and  Thucidydes,  whose  works  are 
still  the  models  of  historical  style,  had  their  home  there.  The  elo- 
quence of  her  orator  Demosthenes  has  never  been  excelled.  The 
achievements  of  her  generals,  ^Miltiades  and  Themistocles,  still  claim 
the  interest  and  win  the  admiration  of  students  of  military  science. 
In  the  brief  span  of  a  century,  in  which  the  far-seeing  and  illustrious 
statesmanship  of  Pericles  burns  as  the  glowing  center,  she  gave  birth  to 
the  products  of  genius  in  almost  every  department  of  literature  and  art 
which  have  scarcely,  if  ever,  been  surpassed.  There  the  '  human  intellect 


254  ACTS  XVIL  [17:23. 

displayed  its  utmost  subtlety  and  grace'  (Farrar).  Athens,  when  Paul 
stood  on  Mars'  Hill,  was  no  longer  the  seat  of  profound  thought  and 
elegant  artistic  endeavor.  Her  inhabitants  had  degenerated.  But  the 
city  possessed  memories  of  Plato  and  Socrates,  and  on  her  streets  and 
hills  still  stood  the  temples  and  statues  in  which  the  genius  of  Phidias 
and  other  artists  had  worked  out  its  conceptions.  It  was  in  this  seat 
of  thought  and  art  that  the  Apostle  of  the  Cross  stood.  Whether  he 
was  inspired  by  the  magnificent  works  of  Grecian  architecture,  in  the 
midst  of  Avhich  he  stood,  or  was  acquainted  with  the  profound  medita- 
tions of  Grecian  philosophy,  or  felt  the  charm  of  the  elegant  verse  of 
Grecian  poetry,  we  do  not  know.  But  as  he  looked  oft"  from  Mars' 
Hill  he  had  before  his  eyes  the  Acropolis  with  its  Parthenon  and 
Propyliea,  whose  ruins  still  are  the  delight  of  the  tourist  and  the 
despair  of  the  sculptor,  and  breathed  an  atmosphere  instinct  with 
reminiscences  of  the  most  ardent  intellectual  fervor  the  wcrld  has 
ever  known.  It  was  the  Apostle  of  the  religion  of  revelation  in  the 
presence  of  the  representative  of  the  most  exalted  human  wisdom.  It 
was  a  single  follower  of  the  cross  answering  the  question  which  phi- 
losophy had  not  been  able  to  answer,  and  which  had  been  embodied 
in  the  inscription  on  the  Athenian  altar. 

We  fail  to  catch  the  import  of  Paul's  address  until  we  have  looked 
upon  the  city  in  this  light.  Athens  was  the  representative  of  the  un- 
aided human  mind,  seeking  to  discover  God.  Paul  saw  before  him  the 
evidence  that  'the  world  by  wisdom  knew  not  God'  (1  Cor.  1:  21). 
Idol  shrines  and  statues  were  in  sight  all  around  him.  The  discussions 
in  the  market-place  were  useless  debates,  repeated  by  every  new 
group,  and  yet  securing  no  certain  results,  and  sending  no  fresh  moral 
life  coursing  through  the  veins  of  the  disputants.  Nor  had  the  great 
and  pure  Socrates  and  Plato  been  sufficiently  assuied  in  their  own 
minds  to  speak  with  authority  to  others  about  God  and  the  future. 
The  truth  was,  as  Professor  Flint  has  said  {Theism,  p.  307),  *  philosophy 
had  found  out  many  truths,  but  not  the  truth.''  The  altar  engraved  with 
the  inscription,  <  To  an  unknown  God,'  was  a  voiceless  but  thi-ill- 
ing  confession  of  the  incompetency  of  the  human  reason  to  arrive  at 
satisfying  conclusions  about  God,  and  a  solemn,  though  perhaps  un- 
conscious prayer  to  the  true  God  for  a  revelation  fi  om  on  high.  There 
human  reason  and  philosophy  had,  as  it  were,  been  on  trial.  They 
had  failed  to  solve  the  riddle  of  human  destiny  and  the  nature  of  God. 
Paul  was  the  messenger  of  him  who  had  brought  down  from  heaven 
the  truth.  The  words  af  Luther  {Table  Talk)  are  appropriate  in  this 
connexion.  '  The  world  seeks  in  innumerable  ways,  and  with  great 
diligence,  labor  and  trouble  after  the  invisible  and  incomprehensible 
God  in  His  majesty.  And  God  is  and  remains  unknown  to  them,  even 
though  they  have  many  thoughts  about  Him.  and  discuss  and  talk 
about  His  nature  at  length,  for  it  is  decreed  that  outside  of  Christ  God 
wills  to  remain  unknown  and  uncomprehended.'  Paul,  on  Mars'  Hill, 
likewise  had  before  him  a  living  demonstration  that  even  the  purest 
and  most  sublime  human  philosophy  has  no  permanent  and  regenera- 


17:  23.]  ACTS  XVII.  255 

tive  power.  However  exalted  the  lives  of  a  few  Athenian  philosophers 
had  been,  the  influences  of  moral  decline  and  disintegration  were  eat- 
ing out  the  life,  of  the  Greek  nation  even  while  the}'  spoke.  Mr.  Glad- 
stone in  his  Juventm  Mundi  (p.  184),  has  said  of  heathenism,  '  Ihe  two 
processes  of  a  speculative  ascent  and  a  practical  decline  [of  morals],  a 
mental  discipline  of  the  few,  and  a  general  dissolution  of  life  were 
simultaneous.  So  it  was  to  the  last  dying  throes  of  paganism.  Never 
was  the  heathen  creed  on  its  intellectual  side  so  sublimated  as  when  it 
perished  under  the  blows  of  Christian  apologists.  But  also  never  had 
its  practical  power  as  a  religious  system  elevating  or  constraining 
action  fallen  so  low  as  in  the  days  when  its  votaries  were  habitually 
content  to  deify  even  monsters  in  human  shape  if  they  wore  the  im- 
perial purple.'  Yes,  even  human  philosophy  in  its  highest  flight  never 
succeeded  in  creating  a  due  abhorrence  of  sin,  or  contributed  moral 
power  sufficient  to  purify  the  heart  of  a  people.  With  masterly  in- 
sight Paul  caught  the  meaning  of  the  environment,  and  with  consum- 
mate skill  proceeded  to  lay  bare  the  futility  of  unaided  human  eflforts 
to  find  out  God  and  to  unfold  the  realities  of  the  divinely  revealed 
truth.  With  polite  courtesy  he  referred  lo  the  unsatisfied  aspirations 
embodied  in  the  confession  on  the  altar,  '  To  the  Unknown  God,'  and 
then  passed  off  to  the  truth  that  all  nations  are  one  in  origin,  and 
their  destiny  is  meted  out  by  the  supreme  Lord.  Then  turning  aAvay 
from  these  truths  of  natural  religion  he  opened  up  Gods  purposes  in 
Christ.  If  Paul  uttered  the  solemn  words  before  Rome  which  had  con- 
quered the  world  and  gloried  in  the  name  'the  Eternal  city' — Christ 
the  Power  of  God  to  every  one  that  belicvcth,  he  now  uttered  before 
Athens,  crowned  with  the  triumphs  of  human  wisdom.  Christ  the  Wis- 
dom of  God  to  every  man  that  repenteih  (ver.  30). — Ye  are  some- 
■what  superstitious.  This  translation  fails  to  express  the  graceful 
courtesy  of  Paul.  It  is  observable  in  all  the  Apostle's  letters,  when- 
ever he  rapidly  proceed  to  blame,  he  invariably  begins  with  winning, 
gentle  words.  The  Greek  (6eiai6atucov)  signifies  more  than  ordinarily 
reverential.  It  may  be  translated  either  as  religious  or  superstitious  in  a 
good  sense  or  in  a  bad  sense.  The  meaning  is  left  to  be  determined 
by  the  context  of  the  passage.  This  religious  temper  of  the  Athenian 
people  was  often  noticed  by  wi-iters.  Thus  Sophocles,  in  the  Ocd.  Col., 
says  they  surpassed  all  the  world  in  the  honors  they  off"ered  to  the 
gods.  Xenophon  relates  how,  in  comparison  with  other  peoples,  they 
observed  twice  the  number  of  festivals  {De  Repub.  Athen.).  Pausanias 
tells  us  they  exceeded  all  others  in  their  piety  towarl  the  gods  {Attic). 
Josephus  especially  mentions  that  the  Athenians  were  the  most  re- 
ligious of  the  Greeks  [Cjntra  Apion).  *This  passage  is  one  of  the  cases 
where  the  translation  of  the  American  Pievisers — 'very  religious' — is 
much  to  be  preferred  to  that  of  the  text.  In  this  view  of  the  meaning 
of  the  text  the  majority  of  modern  commentators  agree  (Xeander, 
Alford,  Meyer,  Hackett,  etc.).  Paul  did  not  mean  to  praise  his  hearers 
for  true  devoutness,  but  to  make  a  reference  to  their  religious  nature, 
evidences  of  which  he  saw  all  around  him.     It  would  have  been  en- 


256  ACTS  XVII.  [17:  1^4. 

24  forth  unto  you.     The  God  that  made  the  world  and 
all  things  therein^  he,  being  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth, 

tirely  out  of  accord  with  Paul's  usual  skilful  and  courteous  method  to 
shock  his  hearers  at  the  vei-y  outset  by  calling  them  superstitious. 
He  was  making  a  graceful  and  master  reference  to  their  religious  pro- 
pensities, in  order  at  once  to  conciliate  their  feelings,  fix  their  atten- 
tion, and  lay  the  foundation  for  the  remarks  to  follow. 

Ver.  23.  To  an  unknown  god.  Philostratus,  who  wrote  a.  d. 
244,  in  his  life  of  Apollonius  says,  alluding  to  the  unusual  reverential 
spirit  of  the  Athenians  :  '  It  is  more  discreet  to  speak  well  of  all  the 
gods,  especially  at  Athens,  where  there  are  erected  altars  of  unknown 
gods.^  The  historical  origin  of  these  mysterious  shrines  cannot  be  de- 
termined. Diogenes  Laertius  relates  how,  when  once  the  Athenians 
were  afflicted  with  a  pestilence,  Epimenides  stayed  the  plague  by  send- 
ing white  and  black  sheep  from  the  Areopagus,  and  then  sacrificing 
them  on  the  various  spots  in  the  city  where  they  lay  down.  There- 
fore, this  writer  added,  there  are  at  Athens  Jiameless  altars.  *It  is  cer- 
tain from  this  speech  of  Paul  that  there  was  one  altar  at  Athens  to  an 
anonymous  God.  He  saw  that.  There  may  have  been  more.  The  Greek 
inscription  Agnosto  Theo  might  also  be  translated  as  in  the  margin — 
To  the  Unknown  God.  The  reference,  however,  was  not  to  a  supreme 
and  only  divinity  like  the  Jehovah  of  the  Jews.  The  inscription  was 
a  confession  of  the  inadequacy  of  the  human  intellect  to  understand 
fully  the  nature  of  divine  realities.  It  indicated  the  '  unsatisfied  as- 
pirations of  heathenism  '  as  Canon  Farrar  well  says  {Life  of  Paul,  I. 
532).  Dr.  Plumptre,  in  his  Com.  on  the  Acts  leans  to  the  view  that 
the  expression  means  the  Unknowable  God,  and  compares  with  it  the 
inscription  on  the  veil  of  Isis  in  Egypt,  *  I  am  all  that  has  been,  and 
all  that  is,  and  all  that  shall  be :  and  no  mortal  hath  lifted  my  veil.' 
He  also  refers  to  another  inscription  in  the  Vatican,  but  this  can  hardly 
be  the  meaning,  although  the  Greek  admits  it.  The  words  of  Paul, 
which  immediately  follow,  do  not  favor  it.  The  sharp  contrast  which 
that  altar  brought  out  was  the  incompetency  of  the  ordinary  reason  to 
discover  the  true  God,  and  the  certainty  of  revelation  — Woat  there- 
fore ye  worship  in  ignorance.  .  .  .  The  Athenians,  Paul  paw, 
evidently  recognised  something  Divine  which  ought  to  be  adored  out- 
side the  known  gods.  This  unknown  Deity  he  proceeded  to  declare  to 
them. 

Ver.  24.  Dwelleth  not  in  temples  made  with  hands.  Com- 
mentators call  attention  to  the  remarkable  reminiscence  of  the  dying 
speech  of  Stephen,  which  Saul  must  have  listened  to,  and  which  so 
powerfully  influenced  his  future  life.  '  Howbeit  the  Most  High  dwelleth 
not  in  houses  made  with  hands  '  (Acts  7  :  48,  49).  These  words,  uttered 
in  full  view  of  the  magnificent  fanes  of  the  gods  of  Athens,  must  have 
rung  with  a  strange  emphasis  on  the  ears  of  the  listening  assemblage. 


17:  25,26.]  ACTS  XVII.  257 

25  dwelleth  not  in  4emples  made  with  hands;  neither  is 
he  served  by  men's  hands,  as  though  he  needed  any- 
thing, seeing  he  himself  giveth  to  all  life,  and  breath, 

26  and  all  things ;  and  he  made  of  one  every  nation  of 
men  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth,  having 
determined  their  appointed  seasons,  and  the  bounds  of 

1  Or,  smictuaries. 

Yer.  25.  Neither  is  he  served  by  men's  hands,  as 
though  he  needed  anything.  The  men  of  the  heathen  world 
loved  to  spend  their  wealth  on  the  adornment  of  the  temples  of  the 
gods,  to  whom  also  they  brought  costly  offerings  of  food  and  drink,  as 
though  these  imaginary  eternal  beings  needed  such  things.  Iliad, 
i.  37,  38  (Pope's  Version),  may  be  quoted  as  expressive  of  the  true 
heathen  feeling  in  this  rtspect :  • 

'  If  e'er  with  wreaths  I  hung  thy  sacred  fane, 
Or  fed  the  flames  with  fat  of  oxen  slain.' 

Paul's  words  were  the  outcome  of  a  mind  steeped  in  the  spirit  of  the 
prophets,  who  insisted  that  the  God  of  Israel  was  not  to  be  worshipped 
with  sacrifice  and  incense,  but  with  a  pure,  noble  life.  The  words  of 
the  Psalmist  were  also  to  the  same  effect :  '  Thou  desirest  not  sacrifice 
else  would  I  give  it '^  (Ps.  51  :  16). — Life,  and  breath.  The  God — 
Paul  was  preaching 'to  them  —  was  not  merely  the  All-Creator  but  also 
the  All-Preserver.  Their  very  breath,  by  means  of  which  from  minute 
to  minute  each  mortal  lived,  was  His  gift. 

Ver.  26.  He  made  of  one  every  nation  of  men.  A  defi- 
nite assertion  that  God  created  the  whole  human  race  from  one  com- 
mon stock.  The  prevailing  idea  amongst  heathen  nations  was,  that 
different  peoples  owed  their  origin  to  different  ancestors,  either  them- 
selves deities  or  immediately  under  the  protection  of  some  deity.  The 
Athenians,  for  instance,  believed  they  were  sprung  from  the  soil  of 
Attica.  The  belief  that  all  peoples  sprang  from  one  common  ancestor 
Paul  knew  would  do  much  to  eradicate  the  notion  that  there  were 
'many  gods,' — would  assist  much  in  the  reception  of  the  truth  that 
there  was  but  one  God.  Besides  this,  Paul  probably  had  in  his 
mind  the  prejudice  with  which  these  haughty  Greeks  viewed  him  as  a 
Hebrew,  a  member  of  a  despised  Oriental  race. — Having  deter- 
mined their  appointed  seasons,  etc.  The  one  true  God,  was  not 
only  the  Architect  and  the  Preserver  of  the  universe,  but  was  also  the 
watchful  governor  of  each  people.  These  words  were  at  once  a  rebuke 
to  the  national  pride  of  the  Athenians,  an  appeal  to  them  for  gratitude 
to  that  supreme  being,  to  whom  they  owed  the  glories  of  their  annals, 
and-  a  warning  that  the  future  destiny  of  that  free  city  was  in  the 
hands  of  Him  under  whose  care  and  protection  all  nations  dwelt. 
17 


258  ACTS  XVIL  [17:27-30. 

27  their  habitation ;  that  they  should  seek  God,  if  haply 
they  might  feel  after  him,  and  find  him,  though  he  is 

28  not  far  from  each  one  of  us :  for  in  him  we  live,  and 
move,  and  have  our  being ;  as  certain  even  of  your 
own  poets  have  said.  For  we  are  also  his  offspring. 

29  Being  then  the  offspring  of  God,  we  ought  not  to 
think  that  Hhe  Godhead  is  like  unto  gold,  or  silver, 

30  or  stone,  graven  by  art  and  device  of  man.     The  times 

1  Or,  (hat  which  is  divine. 

Ver.  27.  That  they  should  seek  God.  The  design  of  God's 
overruling  providence  was  that  men  should  seek  after  a  knowledge  of 
Himself.  The  speaker  implies  in  a  delicate  manner  that  mankind  had 
missed  the  mark  at  which  they  aimed.  Bengel  says  :  The  way  is  open, 
God  is  ready  to  be  found,  but  He  compels  no  one. — They  might  feel 
after  him.  The  word  translated  feel  after  denotes  the  action  of  one 
blind  who  gropes  after  what  he  desires  to  find.  Paul,  says  Schleier- 
macher,  represents  it  'as  the  ultimate  purpose  of  all  the  great  arrange- 
ments of  God  in  the  world  that  man  should  seek  Him.  He  regards  man's 
noblest  aim  and  perfection  as  consisting  in  such  seeking  after  and  find- 
ing. Let  us  consider '  he  adds  '  (1 )  the  great  object  of  our  search  ;  and 
(2)  the  path  which  conducts  to  it.' — He  is  not  far  from  each  one 
of  us.  *  So  near  is  He  to  all  men,  if  they  would  but  believe  it.  But 
the  human  race  would  prefer  that  He  should  be  far  distant ;  it  con- 
tinues to  imitate  our  first  parents,  who  hid  themselves  from  the  pre- 
sence of  God  in  Paradise'  (Gossner  quoted  by  Lange). 

Ver.  28.  The  words  of  this  verse  explain  the  meaning  of  the  assertion 
of  *  God's  being  not  far  from  each  one  of  us.'  On  God  we  must  depend 
every  moment  for  our  life.  We  owe  to  Him  our  existence  in  this  world, 
and  every  instant  of  our  continuance  in  it. — As  certain  even  of 
your  own  poets  have  said.  The  emphasis  is  upon  your  oicn.  The 
quotation  is  the  beginning  of  an  hexameter  line  taken  verbatim  from 
Aratus,  a  poet  of  Cilicia,  of  which  Tarsus,  Paul's  native  city,  was  the 
capital.  He  wrote  about  300  years  before  Paul's  visit  to  Athens. 
The  work  from  which  the  citation  is  made  was  the  Phsenomena,  an 
astronomical  poem.  Cleanthes,  in  his  Hymn  to  Zeus  (Jupiter),  uses 
almost  the  very  same  words  :  '  For  we  thine  offspring  are  '  Cleanthes 
was  a  Stoic,  he  lived  about  the  same  time  as  Aratus.  Paul,  perhaps, 
was  well  read  in  Greek  literature  ;  elsewhere  he  quotes  directly  from 
Menander  (1  Cor.  15:  33)  and  from  Epimenides  (Tit.  1 :  12). 

Ver.  29.  *We  ought  not,  etc.  How  skilfully  Paul  manages  his 
cause  !  He  does  not  repel  his  hearers  by  accusing  them  of  being  alone 
guilty  of  this  sin.     He  uses  the  plural  first  person. 

Ver.  30.  The  times  of  ignorance  therefore  God  over- 
looked, etc.     God  had  allowed  those  ages  of  ignorance  to  pass  by 


17:31,32.]  ACTS  XVII.  259 

of  ignorance  therefore  God  overlooked ;  but  now  he 
^  commandeth   men  that  they  should  all   everywhere 

31  repent :  inasmuch  as  he  hath  appointed  a  day,  in  the 
which  he  will  judge  ^the  world  in  righteousness  ^by 
^the  man  whom  he  hath  ordained;  whereof  he  hath 
given  assurance  unto  all  men,  in  that  he  hath  raised 
him  from  the  dead. 

32  Xow  when  they  heard  of  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead,  some  mocked ;  but  others  said,  We  will  hear 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  read  declareth  to  men. 
2  Gr.  the  inhabited  earth.  3  Gr.  in.  *  Or,  a  man, 

without  any  special  revelation,  and  had  sent  no  express  messenger  to 
declare  His  will  to  them.  He  had  left  them  alone  to  the  teachings  of 
nature  and  the  promptings  of  their  own  consciences  ;  but  noto  the  time 
of  forbearance  was  over,  now  He  called  men  to  repentance,  to  a  change 
of  mind  and  heart.  Alford  remarks  that  in  the  word  overlooked,  '  lie 
treasures  of  mercy  for  those  who  lived  in  the  times  of  ignorance.'  For 
the  expansion  of  these  thoughts,  see  Rom,  1 :  20,  etc. ;  2 :  12,  etc. 
■^'  He  holds  up  their  ignorance  to  the  Athenians !'  exclaims  Bengel.  Yes 
that  was  strange  language  and  intrepid  boldness,  which  ascribed  ig- 
norance to  the  nation  where  intellect  had  taken  its  highest  flights. 
But  the  Athenians  themselves  had  confessed  the  same  thing  in  that 
inscription  on  the  altar. — *  Repent.  Strange  word!  In  their  wis- 
dom they  had  never  found  out  its  meaning.  In  all  their  philosophy 
they  had  not  learned  to  abhor  sin.  Paul  before  the  great  power  of 
Rome  says  '  The  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one 
that  believeth'  (Rom.  1:  16). 

Ver.  31.  He  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness.  This' 
statement  gives  the  reason  why  the  Heathen  world  must  repent — the 
day  of  judgment  is  fixed,  and  the  Judge  appointed.  If  note,  after  they 
have  been  warned,  men  still  refuse  to  repent,  they  will  be  condemned. 
Paul's  reference  to  the  judgment  was  apt  on  the  Areopagus,  where  ju- 
dicial sentences  were  wont  to  be  announced  (Bengel). — *In  that  he 
hath  raised  him  from  the  dead.  The  resurrection  of  Jesus  con- 
firmed the  truth  of  the  general  judgment.  Just  what  use  the  Apostle 
intended  to  make  of  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  we  do  not  know. 
It  is  probable,  however,  that  he  intended  the  reference  to  the  resur- 
rection of  Jesus  to  convey  the  idea  of  the  general  resurrection  of  all 
men  (ver.  18),  from  which  it  would  follow  that  all  would  be  judged. 
The  mention  of  the  resurrection  was  the  occasion  for  a  general  stir 
among  the  audience,  which  interrupted  the  further  progress  of  the 
address. 

Ver.  32.  Some  mocked;  but  others  said,  We  will  hear 
thee,  etc.     It  has   been  suggested   that  those  that  mocked  were  fol- 


260  ACTS  XVII.  [17:  33-34. 

33  thee  concerniug  this  yet  again.     Thus  Paul  went  out 

34  from  among  them.  But  certain  men  clave  unto  him, 
and  believed :  among  whom  also  was  Dionysius  the 
Areopagite,  and  a  woman  named  Damaris,  and  others 
with  them. 

lowers  of  Epicurus,  and  that  the  men  who  wished  to  adjourn  the 
question  were  of  the  school  of  Zeno.  The  Areopagites  seem  to  have 
been  divided,  some  openly  mocking  Paul  anil  his  doctrines  ;  some,  in 
doubt  seemingly,  wishing  to  hear  him  again,  after  probably  his  strange 
revelation  had  been  discussed  in  private.  The  mockers,  however,  and 
the  men  who  feared  lest  their  interests  should  suflFer  if  these  new 
things  were  publicly  taught,  prevailed ;  for  in  the  next  verse  we 
read  : 

Ver.  33.  Paul  went  out  from  among  them.  We  never  hear 
of  his  visiting  Athens  again,  nor  does  he  ever  in  any  of  his  letters 
make  mention  of  the  city.  Milman  {History  of  Christianity,  vol.  ii.) 
observes  upon  the  effect  the  Apostle's  words  must  have  had  upon  his 
philosophic  audience:  '  Up  to  a  certain  point  in  this  high  view  of  the 
Supreme  Being,  the  philosophers  of  the  Garden  (Epicureans)  as  well  as 
of  the  Porch  (Stoics)  might  listen  with  wonder  and  admiration.  It 
soared  indeed  high  above  the  vulgar  religion ;  and  in  the  lofty  and 
serene  Deity  who  disdained  to  dwell  in  the  earthly  temple  and  needed 
nothing  from  the  hand  of  man,  the  Epicurean  might  almost  suppose 
that  he  heard  the  language  of  his  own  teacher.  But  the  next  sentence 
which  asserted  the  providence  of  God  as  the  active  creative  energy — 
as  the  conservative,  the  ruling,  the  ordaining  principle — annihilated 
at  once  the  atomic  theory  and  the  government  of  blind  chance  to 
which  Epicurus  ascribed  the  origin  and  preservation  of  the  universe.' 

Ver.  34.  Certain  men  clave  unto  him,  and  believed. 
Paul's  efforts  at  Athens  were  a  comparative  failui-e,  when  we  recall  the 
strong  churches  he  established  at  Philippi  and  Thessalonica.  His  stay 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  a  prolonged  one.  While  we  possess  five 
of  Paul's  letters  addressed  to  Greek  cities — two  to  Thessalonica,  two 
to  Corinth,  one  to  Philippi  —we  have  none  written  to  the  famous 
capital.  Never  again,  either  in  the  Acts  or  in  the  contents  of  any  of 
Paul' s  subsequently  written  epistles,  do  we  meet  with  the  name  of  Athens. 
The  city  was  one  of  the  last  of  the  great  European  centres  really  to 
accept  Christianity.  Even  after  the  days  of  Constantine  the  Great, 
Athens  was  the  rallying  point  of  the  dying  Pagan  party,  the  last  home 
of  the  old  schools  of  heathen  philosophy.— Dionysius  the  Areo- 
pagite.  He  must  have  been  a  man  of  distinction.  The  number  of 
the  Areopagite  judges  varied  at  different  periods.  Eusebius  and  other 
authors  relate  that  this  Dionysius  subsequently  became  Bishop  of 
Athens,  and  according  to  one  tradition  suffered  martyrdom. — Damaris. 
Nothing  further  is  known  of  her. 


18:  1.]  ACTS  XVIII.  261 

Chapter  18:  1-11. 

Paul  at  Corinth. 

18  :  1     After  these  things  he  departed  from  Athens,  and 

*  PRAcncAL  Notes. — The  world  by  wisdom  knew  not  God.  Never  has  there  been 
a  more  serious  endeavor  made  by  men  of  profound  intellect  to  solve  the  riddle  of  ex- 
istence and  discover  the  nature  of  God  than  at  Athens.  There  human  phihsoph  i 
reached  its  highest  development.  But  it  failed  to  find  out  the  true  and  supreme  Gud 
and  the  nature  of  sin. — God  waited  for  forty  centuries  to  send  Christ,  in  order  to  afford 
mankind  the  opportunity  of  finding  Him  without  the  aid  of  revelation.  Greek 
philosophy  and  wisdom  failed  to  accomplish  it.  The  world  did  not  discover  that  God 
was  a  holy  being,  and  that  God  was  our  heavenly  Father,  and  the  Athenians  continuea 
to  worship  many  divinities  and  preserved  their  idols.  It  was  thus  proved  that  the  in- 
tellect of  man  without  the  help  of  revelation  is  incompetent  to  arrive  at  a  knowledge 
of  the  true  religion. — Christ  is  the  'wisdom  of  God'  (1  Cor.  1 :  24),  and  reveals  the 
mystery  kept  hid  from  the  ages.  When  the  human  mind  had  exhausted  itself  in  efforts, 
then  God  intervened. — Paul  and  Athens.  VThat  a  contrast !  A  single  man,  and  he  a 
despised  Jew,  standing  alone  against  the  combined  wisdom  and  philosophy  and  art  of 
the  most  subtle  intellects  the  world  has  ever  produced.  No  contest  could  seem  more 
unequal.  Yet  Paul  triumphed.  The  Gospel  is  victorious.  The  ideas  which  the 
Apostolic  preacher  announced  on  Mai's'  Hill  are  not  only  the  heritage  of  the  civilized 
world,  but  its  dominating  spiritual  forces.  And  that  which  gives  to  Mars'  Hill  its 
greatest  interest  for  the  traveller  to-day  is  that  Paul  stood  upon  it  1800  years  ago.— 
There  are  unsatisfied  aspirations  which  nothing  but  God  in  Christ  can  satisfy.  This 
confession  was  inscribed  upon  the  Athenian  altar  (ver.  23).  The  Athenians  had  failed 
to  satisfy  their  conscience  and  quiet  their  fears  by  the  erection  of  many  altars  to  many 
divinities.  We  may  serve  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  or  pride,  or  the  love  of  money,  but  it 
is  in  none  of  these  to  completely  satisfy  the  aspirations  of  the  human  heart.  It  longs 
for  communion  with  One  who  is  Spirit,  and  sighs  to  confide  in  One  who  is  an  almighty 
Father.— The  final  object  of  our  life  is  to  find  God  (ver.  27).  We  shall  do  it  by  believ- 
ing in  Christ.— Even  the  worid's  wisest  need  to  repent  (ver.  30).  If  the  Athenians  were 
ignorant  they  were  also  sinful.  Endowments  of  intellect  cannot  unlock  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.  This  is  secured  only  by  confession  and  repentance.— The  contemplation 
of  the  Risen  Lord  affords  more  joy,  peace  and  hope,  than  all  the  works  of  art,  con- 
quests of  arms,  and  reflections  of  philosophy.  He  who  has  faith  in  him  attains  to  that 
perfect  symmetry  of  manhood  (Eph.  4:  13)  after  which  the  Greek  sought  but  which  he 
never  reached,  and  makes  a  conquest,  such  as  Athenian  arms  never  achieved. 

Paul  at  Corinth,  vers.  1-11. 

Ver.  1.  Corinth.  The  Corinth  which  Paul  visited  was  a  new  city, 
comparatively  speaking.  The  old  city  of  the  same  name,  so  renowned 
in  Grecian  history,  had  been  destroyed  by  the  Eoman  Mummius  (146 
B.C.),  and  for  a  hundred  years  was  left  a  heap  of  ruins.  Its  destruc- 
tion was,  indeed,  so  complete  that  it  passed  into  a  proverb.  Some 
eighty-seven  years  before  Paul's  visit,  Julius  Cresar  rebuilt  it.  and  at 


262  ACTS  XVIII.  [18 :  2. 

2  came  to  Corinth.  And  he  found  a  certain  Jew  named 
Aquila,  a  man  of  Pontas  by  race,  lately  come  from 
Italy,  Avith  his  wife  Priscilla,  because  Claudius  had 
commanded  all  the  Jews  to  depart  from  Rome :  and 

this  period  it  was  a  city  of  the  second  rank  in  the  Empire.  The  growth 
of  the  new  city  was  very  rapid  ;  it  soon  surpassed  its  former  opulence 
and  splendor,  and  became  a  vast  commercial  centre,  frequented  by 
strangers  from  all  parts.  The  laxity  of  the  morals  of  Corinth  was  pro- 
verbial ;  writers  tell  us  there  was  in  it  one  temple  dedicated  to  Venus, 
to  which  a  thousand  courtesans  were  attached.  "^  The  expressions  to  live 
as  at  Corinth  or  to  Corinthianize,  were  synonomous  with  profligate  in- 
dulgence. The  city  is  forty-five  miles  from  Athens,  and  situated  in  a 
narrow  isthmus  ten  miles  wide,  was  admirably  adapted,  as  it  looked  out 
both  to  the  west  and  to  the  east  through  seaports,  to  be  a  great  com- 
mercial centre.     This  first  visit  of  Paul  to  Corinth  occurred  in  the  year 

53  A.D. 

Ver.  2.  Aquila,  .  .  .  with  his  -wife  Priscilla.  It  seems  probable 
that  Aquila  and  Priscilla  were  Christians  before  they  met  with  Paul. 
There  is  no  mention  in  the  Acts  of  their  conversion  ;  and,  as  it  has 
been  well  argued,  Paul's  'finding  these  Jews  out  and  consorting  with 
them,  afiFords  a  strong  presumption  in  favor  of  their  Christianity  :  only 
among  Christians  could  the  Apostle  feel  himself  at  home.'  Their  friend- 
ship appears  to  have  been  very  intimate  and  enduring.  We  read  of 
them  several  times  in  his  epistles.  They  were  with  Paul  during  his 
long  residence  at  Ephesus  ;  and  once  (Rom.  16  :  3-4),  he  tells  us  they 
laid  down  their  necks  for  his  life.  If  Aquila  and  Priscilla  had  em- 
braced the  faith  of  Jesus  before  the  meeting  with  Paul,  then  they  are 
the  two  most  ancient-known  members  of  the  primitive  Church  of  Piome. 
— Claudius  had  commanded  all  the  Jews  to  depart  fiom 
Rome.  Suetonius  ( Claudius,  25)  has  a  statement  which  exactly  fits  in 
with  these  worils.  '  Claudius  banished  the  Jews  from  Rome,  who  were 
constantly  making  disturbances  at  the  instigation  of  one  "  Chrestus."  ' 
Christus,  or  Christ,  was  not  unfrequently  written  or  pronounced 
Chrestus.  It  is  more  than  probable,  considering  the  constant  com- 
munication that  was  taking  place  between  Rome  and  Antioch  and 
Csesarea,  that  Christianity  had  been  introduced  into  Rome  long  before 
this.  At  Pentecost,  twenty  years  before,  sojourners  from  Rome  listened 
at  Jerusalem  to  the  inspired  utterances  of  Peter  and  the  eleven  (Acts 
2  :  10).  A  large  Jewish  colony  dwelt  in  the  capital  city  ;  the  causes, 
therefore,  of  the  disturbance  which  occasioned  the  decree  of  the  Em- 
peror, are  easily  conceived.  Jealousy  on  the  part  of  the  Jewish  leaders, 
was  soon  excited  against  the  teachers  of  the  doctrines  of  Jesus  ;  and 
what  took  place  at  Antioch  in  Pisidia  (13:  50),  Lystra  (14:  19),  and 
Thessalonica  (17  :  5),  no  doubt  on  a  larger  scale  took  place  in  the 
crowded  Jew's  quarter  on  the  banks  of  the  Tiber  at  Rome ;  and  the  re- 
sult of  the  uproar  was  the  imperial  decree  wliich  banished  fur  a  season 


18:  3-5.]  ACTS  XVIII.  263 

3  he  came  unto  them  ;  and  because  he  was  of  the  same 
trade,  he  abode  with  them,  and  they  wrought ;  for  by 

4  their  trade  they  were  tentmakers.  And  he  reasoned 
in  the  synagogue  every  sabbath,  and  ^persuaded  Jews 
and  Greeks. 

5  But  when  Silas  and  Timothy  came  down  from 
Macedonia,  Paul  was  constrained  by  the  word,  testify- 

1  Gr.  sought  to  •persuade. 

the  entire  Jewish  community  from  the  city.  Among  those  aflFected  by 
it  were  Aquila  and  Priscilla.  The  decree  does  not  appear  to  have  long 
continued  in  force.  When  Paul  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Ptomans,  six 
years  later,  Aquila  and  Priscilla  had  already  returned  to  Rome  ;  and 
when  he  was  taken  to  Rome  as  a  prisoner,  he  found  many  Jews  there. 

Ver.  3.  He  -was  of  the  same  trade  ....  they  -were  tent- 
makers.  We  have  here  the  first  mention  of  the  handicraft  by  which, 
during  so  many  period^  of  his  life,  Paul  earned  his  daily  bread.  Every 
Jewish  boy  was  carefully  taught  a  trade.  The  vicissitudes  of  life  had 
taught  the  Rabbis  the  stern  necessity  of  every  Jewish  boy  being  able  to 
earn  his  daily  bread  in  the  foreign  cities  where  the  chances  of  war  or  per- 
secution might  ti-ansport  him.  We  read  in  the  Talmud,  '  What  is  com- 
manded of  a  father  towards  his  son  ?  To  circumcise  him,  to  teach  him 
the  Law,  to  teach  him  a  trade.'  Rabbi  Judah  saith  :  *  He  that  teacheth 
not  his  son  a  trade,  teacheth  him  to  be  a  thief.'  Rabban  Gamaliel  saith : 
*  He  that  hath  a  trade  in  his  hand,  to  what  is  he  like  ?  He  is  like  a 
vineyard  that  is  fenced.'  Hillel,  the  great  rabbi,  was  a  carpenter, 
and  earned  a  victoriatus  (twelve  cents)  a  day.  Tentmaking  was  a  com- 
mon occupation  in  Paul's  native  Cilicia.  These  tents  were  made  of  the 
rough  hair  of  the  goats,  which  abounded  in  the  Cilician  hill  country. 
This  tent-cloth  was  generally  known  as  cilidum.  We  read  of  it  in 
mediaeval  works  on  penitential  discipline.  The  word  cilidum  is  still 
retained  in  French,  Spanish,  and  Italian.  At  Miletus,  when  Paul  took 
leave  of  the  elders  of  Ephesus,  he  expressly  alludes  to  the  toil  of  his 
hands  (Acts  20 :  34).  Allusion  is  also  made  to  it  in  1  Cor.  4  :  12  ;  1 
Thess.  2  :  9  ;  2  Thess.  3  :  8. 

Ver.  4.  He  reasoned  in  the  synagogue  every  sabbath. 
According  to  his  invariable  custom,  speaking  the  things  of  tbe  kingdom, 
first  to  his  own  countrymen. 

Ver.  5.  Paul  was  constrained  by  the  word.  The  divine 
word  or  doctrine  was  in  his  heart  as  a  constraining  power  ;  or,  as  it  may 
also  mean,  it  completely  engrossed  his  attention.  The  arrival  of  Silas 
and  Timothy  gave  him  a  new  impulse  :  he  was  able  to  work  with  better 
heart  than  when  all  alone.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the  assistance 
Timothy  brought  him  from  his  converts  at  Thessalonica  (1  Thess.  3:6) 
in  part,  at  least,  freed  him  from  the  necessity  of  hard,  unremitting  laboJ 


264  ACTS  XVIII.  [18:  6-9. 

6  ing  to  the  Jews  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ.  And 
when  they  opposed  themselves,  and  ^blasphemed,  he 
shook  out  his  raiment,  and  said  unto  them,  Your  blood 
he  upon  your  own  heads;  I  am  clean:  from  henceforth 

7  I  will  go  unto  the  Gentiles.  And  he  departed  thence, 
and  went  into  the  house  of  a  certain  man  named  Titus 
Justus,  one  that  worshipped  God,  whose  house  joined 

8  hard  to  the  synagogue.  And  Crispus,  the  ruler  of  the 
synagogue,  ^  believed  in  the  Lord  with  all  his  house ; 
and  many  of  the  Corinthians  hearing  believed,  and 

9  were  baptized.     And  the  Lord  said  unto  Paul  in  the 

*  Or,  railed.  2  Qx.  believed  the  Lord. 

(see  2  Cor.  11 :  9).  The  word  translated  was  constrained,  is  a  singular 
one;  it  was  used  once  very  solemnly  by  the  Lord  himself,  (Luke  12: 
50,  '  I  have  a  baptism  to  be  baptized  with  ;  and  how  am  I  straitened  till 
it  be  accomplished  !').  It  indicates  an  intense  divine  impulse,  urging 
to  a  work  which  brooks  no  delay  or  hesitation. 

Ver.  6.  And  blasphemed.  The  violent  opposition  of  the  Jews, 
to  which  in  general  Paul  alludes  in  the  First  Epistle,  written  about 
this  time,  to  Thessalonica  (1  Thess.  2 :  14),  was  stirred  up  by  the  in- 
tense earnestness  of  Paul  in  his  work  after  the  arrival  of  Silas  and 
Timothy,  when  he  was  '  constrained  by  the  word.' — He  shook  out 
his  raiment.  That  is,  he  shook  the  very  dust  out  of  his  garments — 
a  similarly  symbolical  action  to  the  one  related  in  chap.  13:  51,  in 
Pisidian  Antioch.  In  both  these  cases  Paul  desired  to  show  his  in- 
dignant protest  against  those  Jews  who  rejected  all  appeals  to  reason 
(see  the  direction  of  the  Master,  Matt.  10:  14). — Your  blood  be 
upon  your  own  heads.  The  terms  of  this  terrible  expression 
would  be  well  known  to  the  Jewish  leaders  at  Corinth  ;  they  were  from 
Ezek.  33 :  4.  *It  implied  that  Paul  had  used  all  the  means  at  his  com- 
mand to  convince  the  Jews.  The  Jews  uttered  like  words  before  the 
crucifixion  with  reference  to  Christ's  death.  '  His  blood  be  on  us,  and 
on  our  children'  (Matt.  27:  25). 

Ver.  7.  A  certain  man,  named  Titus  Justus.  Here  now 
that  the  synagogue  was  closed  to  him,  Paul  assembled  the  little 
church  to  instruct  them  in  the  Gospel.  It  is  possible  this  was  the 
Titus  (Gal.  2:1)  who  subsequently  became  the  celebrated  companion 
of  Paul,  and  one  of  his  successors  in  the  rule  of  the  churches. 

Ver.  8.  Crispus,  .  .  .  believed  in  the  Lord  with  all  his 
house.  He  was  one  of  the  few  persons  in  Corinth  whom  Paul  bap- 
tized with  his  own  hand  (1  Cor.  1 :  14).  We  have  here  another  in- 
stance in  which  a  whole  family  became  Christians.  A  very  old  tradi- 
tion speaks  of  this  Crispus  as  subsequently  Bishop  of  Egina. 

Ver.  9.     *3e  not  afraid.     The  form  of  the  imperative  implies 


18:  10-12.]  ACTS  XVIII.  265 

night  by  a  vision,  Be  not  afraid,  but  speak,  and  hold 

10  not  thy  peace :  for  I  am  with  thee,  and  no  man  shall 
set  on  thee  to  harm  thee :  for  I  have  much  people  in 

11  this  city.     And  he  dwelt  there  a  year  and  six  months, 
teaching  the  word  of  God  among  them. 

Chapter  18 :  12-17. 
Paul  Arraigned  before  Gallio. 

12  But  when  Gallio  was  proconsul  of  Achaia,  the  Jews 
with  one  accord  rose  up  against  Paul,  and  brought 

that  he  had  begun  to  be  discouraged  and  to  despond.  John  the  Bap- 
tist in  prison  had  a  feeling  similar  to  this  (Matt.  11  :  2). 

Ver.  10.  I  have  much  people  in  this  city.  *  How  great  is 
the  mercy  of  God  !     Mneveh,  Sodom,  Corinth — no  city  is  so  corrupt 

that  He  does  not  send  preachers  of  righteousness  to  the  people 

Paul  accomplished  a  greater  work  in  the  wicked  city  of  Corinth  than 
in  the  learned  city  of  Athens  ;  Paul  had  the  pleasure  of  changing 
these  impure  and  sinful  souls  into  pure  brides,  whom  he  conducted  to 
Christ,  and  to  whom  he  could  afterwards  say,  Ye  were  thieves,  covet- 
ous, drunkards,  revilers,  extortioners  ;  but  ye  are  washed,  sanctified, 
justified  in^he  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  by  the  Spirit  of  our  God. 
....  All  this  teaches  us  not  to  grow  weary,  even  when  dealing  with 
the  worst  of  men'  (Starke  and  others,  quoted  by  Lange). 

Ver.  11.     A  year  and  six  months.     The  wliole  period  of  his 
residence  at  Corinth,     It  was  during  this  lengthened   stay  that  the 
Apostle  wrote  the  two  Epistles  to  the  church  of  Thessalonica,  the  ear- 
liest we  possess  of  Paul. 
*  Pbactical  Notes  — See  close  of  next  section. 

Paul  Arraigned  before  Gallio,  vers.  12-17. 

Ver.  12.  Gallio  was  proconsul  of  Achaia.  The  Roman 
province  of  Achaia  was  almost  of  the  same  extent  with  the  modern 
kingdom  of  Greece.  It  included  the  Peloponnesus  and  the  rest  of 
Greece  proper ;  whereas  Macedonia,  Epirus,  Thessaly,  and  part  of 
Illyria  formed  the  province  of  Macedonia.  These  provinces  were 
transferred  from  the  government  of  the  Roman  senate  to  that  of  the 
emperor,  and  vice  versa,  more  than  once.  With  his  usual  historical 
accuracy  Luke  speaks  of  the  governor  of  Achaia  as  proconsul.  Sue- 
tonius expressly  mentions  that  Claudius  the  emperor  gave  up  to  the 
senate  the  provinces  of  Achaia  and  Macedonia,  which  would  account 
for  the  governor  being  styled  proconsul,  the  title  of  the  senate's  ofl&cial 
(See  13  :  7).  Gallio  was  the  brother  of  Seneca,  the  famous  philosopher 
and  tutor  of  Nero.  He  is  mentioned  by  Tacitus,  Statius,  Seneca  an  1 
others,  and  was  cultivated  and  polished  as  a  scholar,  popular  and  beloved 


266  ACTS  XVIII.  [18:  13-15. 

13  him  before  the  judgement-seat,  saying,  This  man  per- 
suadeth   men   to  worship  God  contrary  to   the   law. 

14  But  when  Paul  was  about  to  open  his  mouth,  Gallio 
said  unto  the  Jews,  If  indeed  it  were  a  matter  of 
wrong  or  of  wicked  villany,  O  ye  Jews,  reason  would 

15  that  I  should  bear  with  you  :  but  if  they  are  questions 
about  words  and  names  and  your  own  law,  look  to  it 
yourselves;  I  am  not  minded  to  be  a  judge  of  these 

as  a  man.  Seneca  writes  of  him  with  the  tenderest  aflfection :  '  My 
brother  Gallio,  whom  every  one  loves  too  little,  even  he  who  loves  him 
most.'  Statins  calls  him  '  dulcis  Gallio'  (sweet  Gallio). — Before  tiiG 
judgement-seat.  It  was  the  custom  of  the  provincial  governors  of 
the  Roman  empire  to  hold  their  courts  on  certain  tixed  days  of  the 
week.  These  sittings  were  commonly  held  in  the  Agora  or  market- 
place. Th^  judgement-seat  (see  vers.  16, 17)  was  of  two  kinds — (1)  fixed 
in  some  public  place;  or  (2)  movable  and  taken  about  by  the  magis- 
trate, to  be  set  up  in  whatever  spot  he  might  wish  to  sit. 

Ver.  13.  Contrary  to  tbe  law.  The  law  here  alluded  to  was 
the  Roman,  not  the  Mosaic  law.  Paul's  offence  consisted  in  the  at- 
tempt to  promulgate  a  religion  which  was  not  sanctioned  by  the  im- 
perial government.  There  were,  besides  that  form  of  Paganism  which 
was  the  state  religion  of  Rome,  other  systems  of  worship  formally 
sanctioned  and  recognised  by  the  state ;  among  these,  itudaism,  al- 
though for  a  time  banished  from  Rome  itself,  was  ranked.  The  Apostle 
was  charged  now  before  the  proconsul's  court  with  preaching  in  Corinth 
a  new  and  unlawful  religion. 

Ver.  14.  Gallio  said  unto  the  Jews.  Gallio,  no,  doubt  knew 
something  about  the  Christian  sect  then  spreading  in  several  of  the 
cities  of  the  empire.  In  common  with  other  noble  Romans  he  regarded 
it  simply  as  an  offshoot  of  the  Jewish  religion — as  a  dissenting  body, 
but  fairly  entitled,  in  common  with  their  co-religionists,  to  the  tolera- 
tion and  even  protection  of  Rome.  At  any  rate  the  question  was  not 
a  matter  for  his  tribunal. — *Reason  would  that  I  should  bear 
•with  you.  That  is,  he  would  as  the  proper  official  have  listened  to 
the  complaint.  Cases  of  injustice  and  open  violence  came  properly 
under  the  cognizance  of  his  court.  But  a  case  of  this  kind,  concern- 
ing matters  of  religious  opinion  and  belief  did  not. 

Ver.  15.  *If  they  are  questions  about  words  and  names 
and  your  ow^n  law,  look  to  it  yourselves.  The  real  difficulty 
and  charge  was,  that  Paul  had  identified  Jesus  of  Nazareth  with  the  Mes- 
siah. Whether  this  identification  was  proper,  and  Paul  was  justified, 
it  was  not  for  Gallio' s  court  to  decide.  The  proconsul  very  properly, 
as  well  as  wisely,  referred  them  to  their  own  law.  !Meyer  aptly  refers 
here  to  the  limits  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction.  There  are 
certain  matters  in  which  the  state  is  not  justified  in  interfering. 


IS:  16,  17.]  ACTS  XVIII.  267 

16  matters.    And  he  drave  them  from  the  judgement-seat. 

17  And  they  all  laid  hold  on  Sosthenes,  the  ruler  of  the 
•  synagogue,  and   beat  him  before  the  judgement-seat. 

And  Gallio  cared  for  none  of  these  things. 

Ver.  16.  He  drave  them.  The  language  shows  tliat  some  force 
had  to  be  used  to  clear  the  court-room. 

Ver.  17.  They  all  laid  hold  on  Sosthenes,  the  ruler  of 
the  synagogue.  There  is  little  doubt  that  this  refers  to  the  Greeks 
who,  ever  ready  to  show  their  hatred  of  the  Jews,  took  this  oppor- 
tunity, when  the  despised  people  were  being  driven  ignorainiously  out 
of  court,  of  venting  their  dislike  upon  the  Jewish  leader.  Some  com- 
mentators have,  however,  supposed  that  not  the  Greeks,  but  the  Jews 
themselves,  are  referred  to,  who,  angry  at  finding  their  designs  against 
Paul  frustrated,  fell  upon  their  own  leader,  to  whose  want  of  skill  or 
lukewarmness  in  the  cause  they  ascribed  their  failure.  This  supposi- 
tion is  based  in  great  measure  on  the  possible  identification  of  this 
Sosthenes  wiih  the  Sosthenes  mentioned  in  1  Cor.  1 :  1,  and  upon  the 
hypothesis  that  he  was  already  a  seci'et  friend  of  Paul's,  and  at  heart 
a  Christian. — Cared  for  none  of  these  things.  The  utter  in- 
difference of  these  great  Roman  officials  to  all  religion  is  well  indicated 
in  these  few  words.  Such  questions  as  had  been  brought  before  his 
tribunal  that  day  were,  to  one  trained  in  Gallio' s  cheerless  school,  en- 
tirely without  intei'est.  Pilate's  celebrated  words,  when  One  greater 
than  Paul  stood  similarly  accused,  '  What  is  truth  ?  '  betray  the  same 
indifference  to  religious  truth.  *  It  is,  however,  by  no  means  certain 
that  these  words  indicate  anything  further  than  Gallio' s  indifference 
to  the  subject-matter  of  this  special  case,  and  refusal  to  interfere  to 
protect  Sosthenes. 

♦Practical  Notes. — The  Church  established  congregations  in  the  most  profligate 
cities.  The  Gospel  is  designed  to  make  the  bad  good.  Its  message  is  to  the  lost  and 
outcast.  The  early  heralds  of  the  cross  did  not  confine  themselves  to  religious  centers 
or  remote  rural  localities.  They  went  boldly  into  the  largest  cities,  there  Mhero 
heathenism  was  most  strongly  intrenched,  and  profligacy  was  most  refined  and  all- 
pervading.  Antioch,  Athens,  Corinth,  Ephesus,  these  were  the  pulpits  from  which 
Paul  preached.  Bengr.1  exclaims,  '  The  Church  of  God  in  Corinth !  Joyful  and  won- 
derful paradox  ! "  There  where  luxury  and  immorality  reached  such  an  alarming 
development,  a  Christian  congregation  wa.s  gathered  to  worship  the  Lord.  This  is  an 
encouragement  for  laborers  among  the  morally  degraded.— There  is  an  ecclesiastical 
statesmanship.  It  was  the  wisdom  of  Paul  to  establish  churches  at  strategic  points. 
Souls  are  just  as  precious  at  one  place  as  another.  But  a  church,  like  a  light  set  upon 
an  hill,  located  at  a  central  point,  is  of  more  importance  than  one  in  a  remote  district. 
From  a  church  in  such  a  commercial  metropolis  as  Corinth,  the  Gospel  would  go  out, 
like  her  ships,  to  every  part  of  the  world  This  is  a  hint  for  workers  in  mission  lands. — 
Every  legitimate  trade  is  honorable  ''ver.  3).  The  mechanic  has  no  reason  to  be  ashamed 
of  his  craft.      Paul  was  a  tent-maker,   and  the   Saviour  of  mankind   did   not  re 


268  ACTS  XVm.  [IS:  18. 

Chapter  18:  18-23. 

Paul's  Return  to  Asia  and  AntiocJi, 

18  And  Paul,  having  tarried  after  tliis  yet  many  days, 
took  his  leave  of  the  brethren,  and  sailed  thence  for 
Syria,  and  with   him   Priscilla  and  Aquila;   having 

fuse  the  work  or  resent  the  title  of  a  'carpenter'  (Mark  6:3).  An  honest,  faithful 
and  God-fearing  purpose  dignifies  every  form  of  labor. — Ministers  of  the  Gospel  have 
a  right  to  live  by  the  Gospel.  The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire.  Paul  worked  with 
his  own  bauds  for  his  support.  And  all  ministers  should  be  willing  so  to  do  when  ne- 
cessity is  laid  upon  them.  But  even  Paul  accepted  gifts  (Phil.  4:  14,  etc.),  and  did  not 
make  his  practice  a  rule  far  others. — The  protracted  sojourn  of  the  apostles  at  differ- 
ent localities  is  a  warning  for  us  not  to  expect  great  results  from  sporadic  efforts  (ver. 
11).  Although  it  was  so  necessary  for  Paul  to  itinerate  rapidly  from  city  to  city,  yet 
he  stayed  eighteen  months  at  Corinth,  nearly  three  years  at  Ephesus,  and  tarried  also 
a  considerable  time  at  Antioch  (Acts  14 :  28,  etc.).  Constant  and  protracted  effort 
builds  up  strong  congregations.  Christians  must  not  only  be  aroused  and  converted, 
but  built  up  and  established  in  the  faith.  Paul  also  revisited  the  churches  in  Syria 
and  Asia  Minor  twice  (Acts  15  :  41 ;  18  :  23)  in  order  to  confirm  them.  It  is  the  long 
pull  and  not  the  spurt  which  wins  the  race.  Good  men  are  often  discouraged. — 
So  it  seems  to  have  been  with  John  the  Baptist  in  prison  (Matt.  11 :  5).  So  with  Paul 
at  Corinth  (ver.  0),  so  that  a  special  vision  was  accorded  to  him  for  his  encourage- 
ment.— Man's  discouragement  is  no  measure  of  the  extent  of  God's  working  (ver.  10). 
God  had  much  people  in  Corinth,  though  Paul  knew  it  not.  Man  looketh  on  the  out- 
ward appearance,  but  we  must  remember  not  to  be  weary  in  well  doing,  for  in  due 
Beason  we  shall  reap  if  we  faint  not  (Gal.  6:  9). — What  Paul  preached  to  the  Corin- 
thians, not  art,  not  the  subtleties  of  human  wisdom,  nothing  but  '  Jesus  Christ  and 
him  crucified '  (1  Cor.  2 :  2). 

Paul's  Return  to  Asia  and  Antioch,  vers.  18-23. 

Ver,  18.  *Yet  many  days.  This  period  is  to  be  included  in  the 
one  year  and  a  half  (ver.  11)  above  given  as  the  time  of  Paul's  sojourn 
at  Corinth,  though  it  is  not  distinctly  stated.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
the  Apostle  wrote  his  Epistles  to  the  Thessalonians. — Sailed  thence 
for  Syria.  Antioch  in  Syria  was  his  ultimate  destination.  He  em- 
barked in  the  first  instance  for  Ephesus. — Priscilla  and  Aquila. 
See  note  on  ver.  2  of  this  chapter.  Priscilla  here,  as  in  Rom.  16  :  3  ; 
2  Tim.  4 :  19,  is  no  doubt  named  first  on  account  of  the  more  promi- 
nent part  she  took  in  the  Church. — Having  shorn  his  head  in 
Cenchreae.  Cenchrere  was  the  harbor  on  the  eastern  side  of  Cor- 
inth, distant  ten  miles  from  the  city.  It  served  the  commerce  of  Asia. 
There  was,  on  the  other  side  of  the  city,  another  port,  Lechoeum,  for 
the  western  trade.  A  church  was  early  planted  atCenchreaa  (Rom.  IG: 
1 )  no  doubt  by  Paul  during  his  Corinthian  residence.  *  It  is  an  open 
question    whether  this   passage  refers   to  Paul   or  to  Aquila.      Prof 


IS:  19-22.]  ACTS  XVIII.  269 

19  shorn  his  head  in  Cenchreae :  for  he  had  a  vow.  And 
they  came  to  Ephesus,  and  he  left  them  there :  but  he 
himself  entered  into  the  synagogue,  and  reasoned  with 

20  the  Jews.     And  when   they  asked  him   to   abide  a 

21  longer  time,  he  consented  not ;  but  taking  his  leave  of 
them,  and  saying,  I  will  return  again  unto  you,  if  God 

22  will,  he  set  sail  from  Ephesus.  And  when  he  had 
landed  at  Caesarea,  he  went  up  and  saluted  the  church, 

PI  umpire  goes  so  far  as  to  say  that  *'  there  is  hardly  a  shadow  of  a 
doubt  that  Paul  is  meant,"  but  in  spite  of  him  Grotius,  Wieseler, 
Meyer,  Howson,  {St.  Paul,  I.  422),  and  others  refer  it  to  Aquila.  The 
clause  is  parenthetic,  and  the  general  style  of  the  narrative  seems  to 
indicate  that  it  was  Paul  who  is  meant,  but  it  is  by  no  means  certain, 
and  general  considerations  would  rather  favor  the  view  that  it  was 
not  he. — He  had  a  vow.  This  was  certainly  not  a  strict  Nazarite 
vow,  which  would  have  required  the  shaving  of  the  head  in  Jerusa- 
lem ;  and  the  hair  cut  oif  would  in  that  case  have  been  burnt  as  an 
offering  in  the  Temple.  There  were,  however,  probably  modifications 
of  the  original  rules  in  the  case  of  foreign  Jews  residing  at  a  distance 
from  the  Holy  Land.  The  '  vow'  was  probably  an  expression  of 
gratitude  for  having  preserved  him  from  evil,  and  for  having  pros- 
pered his  work  during  his  long  stay  at  Corinth.  It  involved,  of 
course,  a  lengthened  period  of  abstinence  and  special  prayer. 

Ver.  19.  They  came  to  Ephesus.  For  a  note  on  Ephesus,  see 
chap.  19:  1,  where  a  lengthened  sojourn  of  the  Apostle  in  that  city  is 
related.  The  voyage  from  Corinth  to  Ephesus,  under  favorable  cir- 
cumstances, was  accomplished  in  two  or  three  days,  though  Cicero  re- 
lates how  he  once,  and  on  another  occasion  his  brother  Quintus,  occu- 
pied two  weeks  in  sailing  from  Ephesus  to  Athens  ;  but  unusual  delays 
in  both  of  these  cases  retarded  the  voyage. 

Ver.  20.  When  they  asked  him  to  abide  a  longer  time. 
This  earnest  request  no  doubt  induced  Paul  to  fix  upon  the  great 
Asian  city  as  the  centre  of  his  work  on  his  third  missionary  journey 
(19:  1  sqq.).  Ephesus,  in  the  earliest  Christian  annals,  occupied  a 
most  distinguished  place.  It  was  not  only  one  of  the  churches 
founded  by  Paul,  but  it  was  trained  up  under  his  own  personal  super- 
intendence for  nearly  three  years.  Timothy,  perhaps  Paul's  most 
loved  disciple,  after  an  interval,  succeeded  the  Apostle  in  the  personal 
superintendence  of  this  church,  and  later  the  city  was  the  home  of 
John. 

Ver.  21.  I  ■will  return  again.  The  Apostle  made  haste  to  ful- 
fil this  promise  (chap.  19  :  1). 

Ver.  22.  Caesarea.  This  Roman  capital  of  Judaea  was  the  usual 
and  most  convenient  port  for  travellers  journeying  to  Jerusalem. — He 


270  ACTS  XVIII.  [18 :  23, 24. 

23  and  went  down  to  Antioch.  And  having  spent  some 
time  there,  he  departed,  and  went  through  the  region 
of  Galatia  and  Phrygia  in  order,  stablishing  all  the 
disciples. 

Chapter  18  :  24-28. 
Apollos  of  Alexandria. 

24  Now  a  certain  Jew  named  Apollos,  an  Alexandrian 
by  race,  ^a  learned  man,  came  to  Ephesus;  and  he  was 

1  Or,  an  eloquent  man. 

•went  up  and  saluted  the  church.  From  the  lowlands  sur- 
rounding CfBsarea  to  the  highlands  in  the  midst  of  which  Jerusalem 
was  situated.  '  The  church '  is,  of  course,  the  mother  church  of 
Christianity  at  Jerusalem.  This  was  apparently  Paul's  fourth  visit, 
since  his  conversion,  to  the  sacred  city.  He  seems  only  to  have  re- 
mained a  short  time.  He,  no  doubt,  on  this  occasion  met  with  James 
and  his  brother  Apostles,  and  recounted  to  them  the  progress  of  the 
Gospel  in  Asia  Minor  and  Greece — Went  down  to  Antioch. 
Geographically  speaking  strictly  correct,  the  position  of  Jerusalem 
lying  much  higher  than  Syrian  Antioch.  Thus  terminated  his  second 
missionary  journey  ;  it  had  occupied,  roughly  speaking,  three  years. 
*  During  this  period  he  had  travelled  through  large  districts  of  Asia 
Minor,  visited  the  European  cities  of  Philippi,  Thessalonica,  Beroea, 
Athens  and  Corinth,  and  returned  by  way  of  Ephesus  and  the  sea  to 
Palestine  and  Antioch.  Everywhere,  except  perhaps  at  Athens  and 
Ephesus,  he  had  been  resisted  and  violently  treated  by  the  Jews. 
Very  important  results,'  however,  wei*e  gained,  and  flourishing 
churches  were  organized,  not  only  in  Galatia,  but  also  in  Philippi, 
Thessalonica  and  Corinth,  and  perhaps  other  centres,  which  were  per- 
manent. 

Ver.  23.  He  departed  On  his  third  great  missionary  journey, 
about  54  A.  D.  He  probably  went  first  to  Tarsus,  then  in  a  north-west 
direction  through  Galatia;  and  then  turning  south-west,  journeyed 
through  Phrygia  and  so  to  Ephesus,  where  for  a  long  period  he  had 
his  abode. — Stablishing  all  the  disciples.  That  is,  in  the  var- 
ious churches  founded  by  him  and  his  companions  during  the  first  two 
missionary  journeys.  Many  things  alluded  to  in  the  Galatian  Epistle, 
written  some  time  in  the  Ephesian  residence  which  immediately  suc- 
ceeded this  long  journey,  were  suggested  by  notes  made  during  this 
visit. 

Apollos  of  Alexandria,  vers.  24-28. 

Ver.  24.  A  certain  Jew^  named  j!^  polios,  an  Alexandrian 
by  race.     Embedded   in    that  portion  of  the  Acts  of   the  Apostles 


IS :  25, 26.]  ACTS  XVIII.  271 

25  mighty  in  the  scriptures.  This  man  had  been  ^  in- 
structed in  the  way  of  the  Lord ;  and  being  fervent 
in  spirit,  he  spake  and  taught  carefully  the  things 
concerning  Jesus,  knowing  only  the  baptism  of  John  : 

26  and  he  began  to  speak  boldly  in  the  synagogue.  But 
when  Priscilla  and  Aquila  heard  him,  they  took  him 
unto  them,  and  expounded  unto  him  the  w^ay  of  God 

1  Gr.  taught  by  word  of  mouth. 
which  dwells  exclusively  on  the  mission  and  work  of  Paul  among  the 
Gentiles,  we  find  this  brief  narration  concerning  a  learned  and  elo- 
quent Alexandrian,  who  perhaps  had  been  a  pupil  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist, coming  under  the  influence  of  Priscilla  and  Aquila,  then  dwelling 
in  Ephesus,  and  consecrating  his  powers  and  learning  to  preach  the 
Gospel. — A  learned  man.  The  Greek  Avord  '/Myioc;,  means  either 
learned,  or  eloquent  (as  in  the  margin). — Mighty  in  the  scriptures. 
That  is,  of  the  Old  Testament.  He  was  profoundly  acquainted  with 
their  contents,  and  skilful  in  drawing  out  their  prophetic  meaning. 

Ver.  25,  In  the  -way  of  the  Lord.  '  The  Lord '  here  signifies 
Christ.  The  whole  expression  signifies  the  doctrine  of  Christ.  Apollos 
as  John  the  Baptist  had  been,  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  Messiahship  of 
Jesus.  But  Ajjollos  and  the  school  of  John  had  much  to  learn  ;  they  had 
no  conception  that  Jesus  was  the  Messiah  of  the  world  ;  they  only  re- 
garded him  as  '  the  one  who  should  redeem  Israel,'  the  head  of  a  trium- 
phant Judaism.  The  grand  thought,  that  the  dwellers  in  the  countless 
isles  of  the  Gentiles,  too,  were  now  fellow-heirs  of  the  kingdom,  was  a 
thought  which  never  occurred  to  one  trained  like  Apollos.  But  a  short 
intercourse  with  souls  like  Priscilla  and  Aquila,  on  whom  a  portion  of 
Paul's  broad  generous  spirit  had  fallen,  threw  a  flood  of  light  into  the 
heart  of  Apollos. — Fervent  in  spirit.  Zealous,  earnest  in  his  dis- 
position. So  Rom.  12:  11,  'fervent  in  spirit.' — Spake  and  taught 
carefully.  How  much  he  accepted  of  the  career  and  doctrine  of  Jesus 
we  do  not  know.  It  i3  certain  that  the  main  features  of  the  crucifixion 
and  the  resurrection  were  w(j11  known  to  one  instructed  in  the  '  way  of 
the  Lord. — Kno"wing  only  the  baptism  of  John.  He  had  proba- 
bly never  heard,  or  even  if  he  had  heard,  only  dimly  comprehended 
the  signification  of  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost. Indeed,  these  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist  (19 :  2,  3)  may  even 
have  been  in  total  ignorance  respecting  the  person  and  ofiice  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  although  John  himself  had  taught  that  Christ  would 
baptize  with  the  Spirit  (Matt,  3:  11),  This  notice  is  interesting,  as 
showing  that  John  s  influence  was  not  confined  to  the  Jordan,  or  to 
his  own  lifetime, 

Ver,  26,  Priscilla  and  Aquila  had  heard  him.  The  presence 
in  the  Jewish  synagogue,  so  long  after  their  conversion  to  Christianity, 
of  persons  known  to  be  so  devoted  to  the  faith,  reminds  us  how  close 


272  ACTS  XVIII.  [18:27,28. 

27  more  carefully.  And  when  he  was  minded  to  pass 
over  into  Achaia,  the  brethren  encouraged  him,  and 
wrote  to  the  disciples  to  receive  him :  and  when  he 
was  come,  he  ^helped  them  much  which  had  believed 

28  through  grace :  for  he  powerfully  confuted  the  Jews, 

1  Or,  helped  much  through  grace  them  which  had  believed. 

and  intimate  at  the  first  were  the  bonds  between  the  synagogue  and 
the  church. —^Expounded  unto  bim  the  way  of  God  more  care- 
fully. It  follows  that  this  was  the  Gospel  as  they  had  learned  it 
from  Paul  We  are  to  include  in  the  instruction  the  great  truths  of 
the  fulfilment  of  the  Law,  the  abolition  of  the  Temple  sacrifices  as  no 
longer  necessary,  the  sacrificial  work  of  Christ,  the  outpouring  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  the  freedom  of  the  Gospel  or  justification  by  faith. 
In  one  word,  those  many  doctrines  which  the  Jews  did  not  usually 
associate  with  the  Messiah's  kingdom. 

Ver  27.  When  he  was  minded  to  pass  over  into  Achaia. 
No  doubt  it  was  to  Corinth,  where  Apollos  knew  the  early  stories  of  a 
flourishing  church  had  been  laid  by  Paul  of  whom  he  had  heard  from 
Priscilla  and  her  husband.— The  brethren  encouraged  him,  and 
wrote  to  the  disciples  to  receive  him.  This  is  the  first  in- 
stance we  possess  of  the  '  letters  of  commendation'  which  afterwards 
became  so  usual  throughout  the  Christian  Church.  Professor  Plump- 
tre,  in  his  comment  on  2  Cor.  3:1,  observes  that  they  deserve  notice 
'  as  an  important  element  in  the  organization  of  the  early  Church  :  a 
Christian  travelling  with  such  a  letter  from  any  church  was  certain  to 
find  a  welcome  in  any  other.  They  guaranteed  at  once  his  soundness 
in  the  faith  and  his  personal  character,  and  served  to  give  a  reality  to 
the  belief  in  the  "communion  of  saints"  as  the  necessary  sequel  to  the 
recognitien  of  a  Catholic  or  universal  Church,' — He  helped  them 
much  which  ha-d  believed  through  grace.  The  concluding 
words,  '  through  grace,'  should  be  closely  joined  with  *  helped  them.' 
They  were  added  apparently  to  impress  on  the  reader  that  the  real 
assistance,  after  all,  which  this  eloquent  and  learned  man  aff"orded  to 
the  believers  of  Corinth,  was  owing  neither  to  his  eloquence  nor  learn- 
ing, but  to  the  grace  of  God.  Paul,  with  his  usual  generosity,  bears 
his  noble  tribute  to  the  work  done  by  the  man  whom  some  wished  to 
set  up  as  his  rival :  '  I  planted,  Apollos  watered  ;'  and  '  I  laid  a  foun- 
dation and  another  buildeth  thereon'  (1  Cor.  3  :  6-10). 

Ver.  28.  He  powerfully  confuted  the  Jews,  and  that  pub- 
licly. His  special  training  in  Alexandria,  coupled  with  his  great 
knowledge  of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  eminently  fitted  the 
eloquent  convert  for  the  peculiar  controversy  which  the  Jewish 
frequenters  of  the  synagogue  delighted  in.  It  was  perhaps  the 
knowledge  of  that  bitter  hostile  spirit  to  Jesus  of  Nazareth  on  the  part 
of  his  countrymen  at  Corinth  which  led  Apollos,   conscious  of  his 


18:  28.]  ACTS  XVIII.  273 

^and  that  publicly,   shewing   by  the   scriptures   that 
Jesus  was  the  Christ. 

1  Or,  shewing  publicly. 

powers  in  such  controversies,  to  desire  this  Corinthian  mission.  The 
expression  publicly  points  especially  to  his  work  in  public  disputatious 
in  the  synagogue  and  elsewhere.  With  this  mention  of  his  efficient 
labors  at  Corinth  the  Acts  leaves  ApoUos.  We  know,  however,  some 
details  respecting  his  after  career.  He  preached  and  taught  with  such 
marked  success  that  his  name  was  used  at  Corinth  as  the  watchword 
of  a  party  (1  Cor,  1 :  12).  No  hint,  however,  is  ever  given  to  us  that 
the  slightest  jealousy  sprang  up  between  him  and  Paul.  After  he  left 
Corinth,  the  scene  of  his  successful  labours,  he  was  urged  by  a  numer- 
ous party  to  return  thither  and  again  take  up  the  thread  of  his  eloquent 
teaching.  Paul  pressed  him  to  go  back  (1  Cor.  16:  12),  but  lie  de- 
clined at  that  time.  Once  more  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  him.  In  nearly 
the  last  of  Paul's  letters  (Tit.  3  :  13)  there  is  a  loving  mention  of  this 
old  friend  and  possible  rival.  The  words  are  few  and  on  the  surface 
unimportant,  but  they  complete  the  story  of  a  ten  years'  friendship. 
The  self-eflFacement  of  Apollos,  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  able  of 
apostolical  men  shines  conspicuously  even  in  the  pages  of  early  Christian 
story,  so  bright  with  records  of  heroic  chivalry  and  generous  self-de- 
nial. The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  has  been  by  not  a  few  scholars  at- 
tributed to  the  learning  of  Apollos.  Luther  was  the  first  to  advance 
this  hypothesis.  Would  it  be  too  daring  to  supplement  Luther's 
hypothesis,  by  suggesting  that  the  silence  of  Apollos  on  the  subject  of 
his  own  God-inspired  writing  is  exact!}/  what  we  should  look  for  from 
that  self-denying  servant  of  God.*  It  is  only  necessary  to  mention  here 
that  the  hypothesis  that  Apollos  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  is  a 
bare  hj/pothesis  supported  by  no  facts.  It  was  a  bold  supposition  of 
Luther's  original  mind  suggested  by  the  account  of  the  learning  of 
Apollos  and  his  Alexandrian  birth.  There  is  more  to  support  the 
hypothesis  that  Barnabas,  Paul's  intimate  friend  and  co-laborer,  was 
the  author  of  the  Epistle,  (see  art.  Hebrews  in  Schaff-Herzog' s  Encyclo- 
psedia,  N.  Y.,  1883,)  or  that  Paul  wrote  it  himself. 

*  Peactical  Notes. — Christian  work  can  be  effectively  done  by  private  effort. 
Aquila  did  not  (so  far  as  we  know;,  and  Prlscilla  could  not,  speak  in  the  synagogue. 
But  these  faithful  disciples,  as  Matthew  Henry  says,  furnished  Apollus  with  matter 
which  he  clothed  in  words.  All  cannot  be  Apostles,  but  all  may  be  laborers,  even  if 
they  have  only  one  talent — Men  of  grea*;  learning  may  often  go  to  school  to  humble 
Christians.  A  plain  and  earnest  narrative  of  Christian  experience  is  often  a  more 
powerful  weapon  than  an  eloquent  and  learned  discourse.— Mental  culture,  sanctified, 
contributes  to  the  effectiveness  of  the  Christian  preacher.  The  Gospel  was  not  spread 
by  learning,  but  learning  was  not  despised  in  the  early  Church.  The  twelve  disciples 
were  probably  uneducated  men,  but  Paul  had  been  trained  in  the  schools  of  Tarsus 
and  Jerusalem,  and  Apollos  in  the  schools  of  Alexandria.  Luther  and  Melanchthon 
18 


274  ACTS  XIX.  [19:  1. 

Chapter  19:  1-7. 

Paul  at  Epliesus  meets  some  of  Johvis  Disciples. 

19:1  And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  while  Apollos  was  at 
Corinth,  Paul  having  passed  through  the  upper 
country  came  to  Ephesus,  and  found  certain  disciples : 

among  the  Reformers,  and  the  Wesleys  among  the  early  Methodists,  were  severe 
students  and  liiglily  educated  men. — Fervor  of  spirit  is  to  be  preferred  above  culture, 
but  culture  CL>mbined  with  fervor  of  spirit  is  better  than  either  alone.  We  should 
covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts  and  seek  the  equipment  of  eloquence  and  learning,  that 
BO  by  all  means  we  may  win  some  — Tlie  humility  of  this  learned  and  eloquent  Apollos, 
condescending  to  be  instructed  by  Priscilla,  is  a  good  illustration  of  obedience  to  the 
precept,  '  condescend  to  men  of  low  estate.' 

Faul  at  Ephesus  meets  some  of  JohrC s  Disciples,  vers.  1-7. 

Ver.  1.  The  upper  country.  The  eastern  districts  of  Asia 
Minor,  So  Herodotus  speaks  of  the  neighborhood  of  Sardis  as  '  the 
upper  (districts)  of  Asia."  In  this  term,  however,  were  included,  as 
in  the  present  instance,  many  of  the  districts  lying  fav  inland.  The 
term  naturally  sprang  from  a  comparison  of  the  more  elevated  regions 
of  the  interior  with  the  low-lying  country  round  the  capital  city, 
Ephesus — Ephesus.  Ephesus  Avas  one  of  the  great  commercial  cities 
of  the  world,  singularly  well  located  both  for  inland  and  maritime 
commerce.  It  lay  on  the  main  road  of  traffic  between  the  east  and 
west,  and  possessed  a  capacious  harbor,  formed  by  the  river  Cayster. 
It  was  built  by  Androclus  the  Athenian  in  the  eleventh  century,  and 
rapidly  increased  in  wealth  and  magnificence.  On  its  streets  Asiatic 
elements  mixed  with  Greek  influences  and  colored  the  social  life. 
The  Romans  made  it  the  capital  of  the  rich  province  of  Asia.  Its 
theatre  is  the  largest  which  has  yet  been  discovered,  and  is  said  to 
have  been  capable  of  containing  30,000  persons.  But  the  glory  of 
the  city  was  the  stately  temple  of  Artemis  (Diana),  for  an  account  of 
which  see  the  note  on  ver.  24.  The  grandeur  of  Epliesus  received  its 
death-blow  in  262  a.  d.,  when  it  was  sacked  and  laid  waste  by  the 
Goths  who  came  from  beyond  the  Danube.  Although  rebuilt,  it  never 
regained  its  former  glory.  The  site  of  the  once  splendid  Asian  me- 
tropolis is  now  utterly  desolate.  Shapeless  piles  occupy  the  ground 
where  once  imposing  edifices  stood  ;  and  the  harbor,  once  the  resort 
of  the  ships  of  all  nations,  is  now  a  confused  morass.  The  few  re- 
maining inhabitants  are  lodged  in  a  miserable  Turkish  village  called 
Ayasaluk,  said  to  be  a  corruption  of  Ilagios-Theologus  [the  holy  theolo- 
gian), the  name  by  which  John  was  known.  ^Ephesus  became  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  scenes  of  apostolic  labors.  The  church  was 
distinguished  by  having  Paul  for  its  founder,  John  for  its  counsellor, 
and  Timothy  for  its  bishop.     To  it  Paul  addressed  one  of  his  noblest 


19 :  2,  3.]  ACTS  XIX.  275 

2  and  he  said  unto  them,  Did  ye  receive  the  Holy  Ghost 
when  ye  believed  ?  And  they  said  unto  him,  Kay, 
we  did"^  not  so  much  as  hear  whether  4he  Holy  Ghost 

3  was  given.     And  he  said,  Into  what   then  were  ye 

1  Or,  there  is  a  Holy  Ghost. 

Epistles,  which  abounds  in  references  to  the  temple  and  the  city,  and 
whicl  Coleridge  is  pleased  to  call  '  the  divinest  of  human  compositions.' 
Here  vhe  Apostle  .John  spent  his  last  years  (Eusebius) ;  here  Apollos 
preached ;  and  here  the  third  (Ecumenical  Council  was  held  in  431, 
which  defined  the  doctrine  of  the  Church  over  against  the  false  views 
of  Nestor ius  (that  Christ  had  two  persons  as  well  as  two  natures). — 
Found  certain  disciples.  These  were  disciples  of  John  the 
Baptist,  who,  in  a  certain  sense,  were  Christians,  for  Paul's  question 
to  them  respecting  the  Holy  Ghost  relates  to  the  period  since  they 
believed.  But  their  knowledge  was  imperfect,  and  they  knew  not  that 
the  Hcly  Spirit  had  been  given. 

Yer.  2.  Did  ye  receive  \he  Holy  Ghost?  'We  are  left  to 
conjecture  what  prompted  the  question.  The  most  natural  explanation 
is,  that  Paul  noticed  in  them,  as  they  attended  the  meetings  of  the 
church,  a  want  of  spiritual  gifts,  perhaps  also  a  want  of  the  peace  and 
joy  and  brightness  that  showed  itself  in  others  ;  they  presented  the 
features  of  a  rigorous  asceticism  like  that  of  the  Therapeutee,  the 
outward  signs  of  repentance  and  mortification,  but  something  was 
manifestly  lacking  for  their  spiritual  completeness '  (Prof.  Plumptre). 
— "Whether  the  Holy  Ghost  V7as  given.  Dean  Alford  renders, 
'  We  did  not  so  much  as  hear  him  mentioned.'  No  Israelite  was 
unfamiliar  with  the  name  of  the  '  Holy  Spirit.'  '  They  could  not  have 
followed  either  Moses  or  John  the  Baptist,'  says  Bengel,  '  without 
hearing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.'  But  they  were  ignorant  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  had  already  been  given.  They  were  ignorant  of  the  first 
Christian  Pentecost  and  its  marvels.  It  is  not  probable  that  they 
shared  at  all  in  the  life  of  the  Christian  brotherhood.  It  was  as  Jews 
Paul  found  them  out,  members  of  some  Ephesian  synagogue,  though, 
no  doubt,  his  attention  had  been  specially  called  to  them  as  having 
been  hearers  of  the  famous  Baptist  or  his  disciples.  There  were, 
probably,  followers  of  the  Baptist  in  many  foreign  lands.  His  stirring 
call  to  repentance  had  found  a  response  in  many  a  heart  far  beyond 
the  desert  where  he  pi'eached.  This  whole  narrative,  first  concerning 
Apollos,  and  now  of  these  disciples,  is  probably  introduced  to  show 
us  that,  through  the  instrumentality  of  believers  like  Priscilla  and 
Aquila  and  Paul,  the  great  majority  of  disciples  of  the  Baptist  were 
brought  to  the  full  knowledge  of  Christ. 

Yer.  3.  They  said,  Into  John's  baptism.  They  had  been 
baptized  into  repentance  and  a  faith  in  a  coming  Messiah.  But  their 
knowledge  of  the  effects  of  his  atoning  sufferings  was  very  dim,  very 


276  ACTS  XIX.  [19:  4-6. 

4  baptized?  And  they  said,  Into  John's  baptism.  And 
Paul  said,  John  baptized  with  the  baptism  of  repent- 
ance, saying  unto  the  people,  that  they  should  believe 
on  him  which  should  come  after  him,  that  is,  on  Jesus. 

5  And  when  they  heard  this,  they  were  baptized  into 

6  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.     And  when  Paul  had 

uncertain,  and  of  the  presence  and  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  they 
confessed  that  they  knew  nothing. 

Ver.  4.  And  Paul  said,  John  bapt  zed  "with  the  baptism 
of  repentance,  etc.  Dr.  Hackett  well  paraphrases  Paul's  reply: 
'  John,  indeed,  preached  repentance  and  a  Saviour  to  come '  (as  you 
know) ;  '  but  the  Messiah  whom  he  announced  has  appeared  in  Jesus, 
and  ye  are  now  to  believe  on  him,  as  John  has  directed.'  The  whole 
purpose  of  John's  baptism  was  to  prepare  for  another  and  more 
complete  baptism,  a  rite  that  would  confer  a  far  greater  blessing. 
His  own  words  were,  '  He  that  coraeth  after  me  shall  baptize  you  with 
the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire'  (Matt.  3  :   11). 

Ver.  5.  They  were  baptized  into  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  Their  willingness  to  be  baptized  anew  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
was  a  confession  that  the  baptism  of  John  was  provisional  and  pre- 
paratory. And  so  these  passed  in  Ephesus  from  the  imperfect  to 
the  perfect  Christianity,  adding  to  their  former  belief  the  doctrines 
relating  to  the  results  worked  by  the  death  and  resurrection  of  the 
Messiah  and  the  later  outpouring  of  the  Spirit.  This  verse  was  the 
subject  of  much  controversy  among  the  early  Protestant  divines  in 
opposition  to  the  Anabaptists,  who  demanded  the  re-baptism  of  those 
baptized  in  infancy,  and  to  Rome,  a  very  positive  doctrine  having  been 
laid  down  by  the  Council  of  Trent  on  the  question  of  the  difference 
between  the  baptisms  of  John  and  Christ.  They  understand  it  thus  : 
•  When  they — namely,  the  hearers  of  John — heard  this  testimony  of 
his  concerning  Christ,  they  were  baptized  by  John  into  the  name  of 
Jesus,'  thus  denying  their  re  baptism  by  Paul.  The  plain  meaning  of 
the  text  is  now  agreed  to  be  that  the=e  disciples  of  John  were  re- 
baptized  with  the  Chi'istian  baptism.  It  is  probable  that  among  the 
3  JOO  baptized  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  many  had  already  received  the 
baptism  of  John. 

Ver.  6.  They  spake  with  tongues  We  have  very  little  know- 
ledge of  the  gift  of  speaking  with  tongues.  (See  Excursus  on  page  14.) 
Two  years  after  this  incident  the  famous  14th  chapter  of  the  first  Corin- 
thian letter  was  written,  which  contains  the  most  of  all  we  know  of  this 
mysterious  subject.  He  must,  among  other  instances  of  the  exercise 
of  this  gift  of  tongues,  have  had  this  special  one  in  his  mind.  We  can 
therefore  lay  down  with  some  certainty  the  following  conclusions 
respecting  it :  It  did  not  edify  any  beyond  the  man  who  spoke  ( 1  Cor. 
14:  4),  unless  it  was  specially  interpreted  (vers.  6,  27).     Men  did  not 


19:  7-9.]  ACTS  XIX.  277 

laid  his  hands  upon  them,  the  Holy  Ghost  came  on 
them ;  and  they  spake  with  tongues,  and  prophesied. 

7  And  they  were  in  all  about  twelve  men. 

Chapter  19:  8-20. 
PauVs   Work  at  Ephesus  and  the  Sons  of  Sceva, 

8  And  he  entered  into  the  synagogue,  and  spake 
boldly  for  the  space  of  three  months,  reasoning  and 
persuading  as  to  the  things  concerning  the  kingdom 

9  of  God.     But  when  some  were  hardened  and  disobe- 

as  a  rule  understand  it,  though  God  did  (vers.  2).  He  who  used  this 
gift  was  to  those  who  listened  to  him  as  a  barbarian  or  a  foreigner 
(vers.  11).  It  was  therefore  no  power  of  speaking  in  a  language  which 
had  not  been  studied  in  the  ordinary  way,  but  it  was  clearly  an  ecstatic 
utterance.  There  were  phenomena  certainly  attending  the  first  exer- 
cise of  the  gift  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost  (Acts  2)  which  could  not  have 
been  subsequently  repeated ;  for  while  at  Pentecost  the  speakers 
were  understood  in  their  ecstatic  utterances  by  men  of  various  nation- 
alities, the  account  of  the  14th  chapter  of  the  first  Corinthian  Epistle 
clearly  tells  us  that  all  speaking  with  tongues  without  an  interpreter  was 
utterly  unintelligible. 

*Pkactical  NoTrs — Paul  would  not  so  often  have/oww^  if  he  had  not  so  diligently 
8onf]M  (Lange).  That  minister  finds  di  ciples  (ver.  1)  who  goes  out  seeking  after  them. 
— There  are  many  Christians  who  have  not  felt  the  highest  experiences  of  the  Chris- 
tian life.  The  'disciples'  at  Ephesus  were  no  doubt  regarded  by  Paul  as  Christians. 
But  they  were  Christians  in  the  lower  stages  of  Christian  experience.  How  many 
heights  of  Christian  joy  and  peace  do  the  followers  of  Christ  often  fail  to  reach !  Some 
never  get  to  the  top  of  the  mount  of  Transfiguration  who  yet  confess  Christ  to  be  the 
Son  of  God. — The  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  special  privilege  of  the  Christian  (ver. 
2).  The  disciple  of  John  the  Baptist  had  only  the  promise  of  it.  He  was  not  then 
given.  This  Spirit  seals  us  unto  the  day  of  redemption,  and  assures  us  of  our  adoption 
by  the  Heavenly  Father. — There  are  two  baptisms,  the  baptism  with  water  and  the 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  promised  freely  to  all  who  call  upon 
the  Father  for  his  bes  owal  (Luke  11 :  13)  A  state  of  repentance  is  not  a  stage  to  lin- 
ger in  The  Christian  should  not  rest  till  he  secures  the  experience  of  the  promises 
and  gifts  of  the  Spirit  who  is  the  'other  Comforter'  (John  14:  16). 

PauVs   Work  at  Ephesus  and  the  Sons  of  Sceva,  vers.  8-20. 

Ver.  8.  Spake  boldly  for  the  space  of  three  months.  Very 
short  is  the  account  of  the  long  residence  of  Paul  at  Ephesus,  nearly 
three  years  altogether  (Acts  20:  31).  It  was,  perhaps,  the  most  suc- 
cessful period  of  his  busy  career. 

Ver.  9.     'When  some  were  hardened  ...  he  departed  from 


278  ACTS  XIX.  [19:  10. 

dient,  speaking  evil  of  the  Way  before  the  multi- 
tilde,  he  departed  from  them,  and  separated  the 
disciples,  reasoning  daily  in  the  school  of  Tyrannus. 
10  And  this  continued  for  the  space  of  two  years ;  so  that 
all  they  which  dwelt  in  Asia  heard  the  word  of  the 

them.  It  was  the  old  story  which  in  Paul's  career  had  so  often  been 
enacted,  as  at  Thessalonica  and  Corinth.  His  own  countrymen,  either 
spurred  on  by  advices  from  Jerusalem  and  the  Holy  Land,  or  them- 
selves jealous  and  disturbed  at  the  thought  of  the  hated  Gentile  sharing 
in  their  hopes,  set  themselves  to  mar  his  labors, — *  Reasoning  daily 
In  the  school  of  Tyrannus.  Some  think  Tyrannus  was  a  Jew  and 
had  a  private  synagogue.  This  opinion  is  based  upon  the  circumstance 
that  no  notice  is  given  of  Paul's  having  turned  away  from  the  Jews  to 
the  Gentiles  (Meyer).  This  transition  is  naturally  implied,  and  the 
better  view  (Hackett,  Plumptre,  etc)  is  that  the  'school  of  Tyrannus' 
was  the  lecture  room  of  a  Greek  teacher  of  rhetoric  or  philosophy. 
Whether  he  was  a  Jew  or  a  Gentile,  he  must  have  been  a. believer. 
Tyrannus  was  not  an  uncommon  name  among  Roman  freedmen.  '  It 
is  found  in  the  Columbarium  of  the  household  of  Livia  on  the  Appian 
Way,  and  as  belonging  to  one  who  is  described  as  a  Medicus  or  physi- 
cian' (Plumi^tre). 

Ver.  10.  This  continued  for  the  space  of  two  years.  We 
must  reckon  this  period  from  the  time  when  Paul  separated  the  disci- 
ples from  the  synagogue.  It  probably  terminated  before  the  events 
related  in  the  21st  and  following  verses.  Paul's  whole  stay  at 
Ephesus  lasted  three  years  (20:  31).  —All  they  which  dwelt  in 
Asia  heard  the  word  of  the  Lord.  By  Asia  is  signified  '  Pro- 
consular Asia,'  of  which  Ephesus  was  the  capital.  The  term  is  used 
here  a  little  vaguely  for  all  the  Western  part  of  Asia  Minor.  Ephesus 
was  a  great  commercial  city,  and  people  resorted  to  it  from  all  parts  of 
the  surrounding  country.  Here  the  Apostle  would  have  numberless 
opportunities  to  preach  to  strangers  as  well  as  to  the  permanent  rnhabi- 
tants.  The  great  temple  and  shrine  of  Diana  also  attracted  a  vast  con- 
course of  pilgrims  ;  in  addition  to  which  we  are  to  think  of  the  Apostle, 
and  his  companions,  Luke,  Timothy,  Titus,  Epaphras,  and  others  as 
journeying  to  the  neighboring  cities  and  laying  the  foundations  of 
fresh  churches.  As  we  shall  see  in  the  23d  and  following  verses,  the 
rapid  growth  of  the  Church  in  Ephesus  created  no  little  alarm  among 
the  population,  for  the  popularity  of  the  new  teaching  positively  told 
upon  the  number  of  pilgrims  to  the  shrine  of  Diana.  It  was  only  forty 
years  from  this  time  that  Pliny,  in  his  famous  letter  to  the  Emperor 
Trajan,  speaks  of  the  swarms  of  Christians  in  the  province  of  Bithynia 
(no  great  distance  from  Ephesus),  of  which  he  was  governor.  Num- 
bers, he  says,  of  all  ages,  of  all  ranks,  of  both  sexes,  not  only  in  the 


19:  11-13]  ACTS  XIX.  279 

11  Lord,   both  Jews  and   Greeks.      And   God   wrought 

12  special  ^miracles  by  the  hands  of  Paul :  insomuch  that 
unto  the  sick  were  carried  away  from  his  body  hand- 
kerchiefs or  aprons,  and  the  diseases   departed  from 

13  them,  and  the  evil  spirits  went  out.  But  certain  also 
of  the  strolling  Jews,  exorcists,   took  upon  them  to 

.  name  over  them  which  had  the  evil  spirits  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  saying,  I  adjure  you  by  Jesus  whom 

2  Gr.  powers. 

cities  of  his  province,  but  in  the  very  villages  and  remotest  country 
districts,  were  infected  with  this  superstition  (Christianity). 

Yer.  11.  God  wrought  special  miracles  by  the  hands  of 
Paul.  The  word  'special'  is  literally  'not  usual,'  hence  extraordinary. 
We  have  had  no  record  of  any  miracle  worked  by  Paul  since  he  healed 
the  possessed  slave  at  Philippi,  some  five  years  before  (Acts  16 :  18). 

Ver.  12.  Were  carried  away  from  his  body  handkerchiefs 
or  aprons.  Handkerchiefs  (aovdafjia)  are  common  in  the  East,  and 
are  used  to  wipe  the  sweat  from  the  face.  Apron  (aifiLKivdia)  is  the 
same  word  as  in  Luke  19:  20;  John  11:  44;  20:  7,  is  translated  nap- 
kin, and  designated  an  ordinary  linen  cloth.  The  picture  here  is  of 
people  taking  the  handkerchiefs  and  apron  which  Paul  used.  The  cases 
in  N.  T.  which  offer  most  points  of  similarity  to  them,  are  the  miracles 
worked  by  the  touch  of  the  fringe  of  the  Saviour's  garment  (Matt.  9: 
20),  and  the  shadow  of  Peter  (Acts  5:  15).  The  comment  of  Dean 
Alford  here  is  admirable:  'In  this  and  similar  narratives,  Christian 
faith  finds  no  difficulty  whatever.  All  miraculous  working  is  an  exer- 
tion of  the  direct  power  of  the  All-powerful,  a  suspension  by  Him  of 
His  ordinary  laws ;  and  whether  He  will  use  any  instrument  in  doing 
this,  or  what  instrument,  must  depend  altogether  on  His  own  purpose 
in  the  miracle,  the  effect  to  be  produced  on  the  recipients,  beholders, 
or  hearers.  Without  his  special  selection  and  enabling,  all  instruments 
are  vain;  with  these,  all  are  capable.  In  the  present  case,  it  was  His 
purpose  to  exalt  His  Apostle  as  the  herald  of  His  Gospel,  and  to  lay  in 
Ephesus  the  strong  foundation  of  His  Church.' 

Ver.  13.  Certain  also  of  the  strolling  Jews,  exorcists,  etc. 
There  were,  as  heathen  writers  tell  us,  numbers  of  these  Jews  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  world,  who  wandered  about  trading  on  the  credulity 
of  men,  professing  to  be  magicians,  and  practising  the  exorcism  of  evil 
spirits.  Among  the  Hebrew  race  there  seems  always  to  have  existed  a 
strange  hankering  after  these  dark  arts,  and  the  Pentateuch  contains 
repeated  laws  against  sorcerers,  witches  and  dealers  in  enchantments. 
At  the  time  of  our  Lord  many  of  the  Jewish  exorcists  pretended  to 
possess  a  power  of  casting  out  evil  spirits  by  some  occult  art,  which 
they  professed  was  derived  from  King  Solomon.     These  impostors, 


280  ACTS  XIX.  [19:14,15. 

14  Paul  preach  eth.     And  there  were  seven  sons  of  one 

15  Sceva,  a  Jew,  a  chief  priest,  which  did  this.     And  the 
evil  spirit  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Jesus  I  ^know, 

1  Or,  recognize. 

seeing  with  their  own  eyes  that  Paul  could  really  do  what  they  only  pre- 
tended to  do,  attempted  to  use  the  name  of  Jesus  for  their  purposes. 
Simon  Magus  in  Samaria  (Acts  8:9),  and  Elymas  in  Cyprus  (Acts  13:8) 
were  Jewish  sorcerers.  *  Strange  to  say,  exorcism  became  a  Church 
practice.  Tertullian  and  Origen  speak  of  it  as  an  indisputable  fact  that, 
the  simple  command  of  a  (  hristian  was  sufficient  to  expel  evil  spirits. 
At  a  later  period  the  exorcist  was  one  of  the  lower  orders  of  the  clergy, 
and  the  clergy  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  are  still  ordained  exor- 
cists before  being  ordained  priests.  At  baptism  both  the  Greek  and 
Catholic  Churches  use  formulas  of  exorcism.  The  Reformed  Churches 
at  the  Reformation  renounced  exorcism,  but  Luther  and  Melanchthon 
were  in  favor  of  its  retention.  The  Prayer  Book  of  Edward  VI.  retained 
a  formula  of  exorcism,  '  I  command  thee,  unclean  spirit  .  .  .  that  thou 
come  out  of  this  infjint,'  etc. 

Ver.  14.  Seven  sons  of  one  Sceva,  a  Jevr,  a  chief  priest. 
Whether  he  had  been  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  twenty -four  courses  of 
the  priests  of  the  Temple,  or  had  once  been  the  high  priest  at  Jerusa- 
lem is  not  known.  It  is  more  probable  that  the  rank  he  held  was 
purely  a  local  one  in  the  synagogue  of  Ephesus.  *Prof.  Plumptre  sug- 
gests that  it  was  a  part  of  his  art  to  assume  the  title  of  high  priest. 

Ver.  15.  Jesus  I  know,  and  Paul  I  know ;  but  who  are 
ye  ?  The  possessed  man,  like  the  Gadarene  demoniac  of  the  Gospel, 
identifying  himself  with  the  evil  spirits,  replied :  '  Jesus,  whom  ye 
invoke,  I  know :  and  Paul,  too,  I  am  acquainted  with  ;  but  who  are 
ye?'  The  whole  question  of  demoniacal  possession  is  surrounded 
with  difficulties.  The  main  difficulty  may,  however,  be  summarized  as 
follows:  (1)  Was  the  demoniacal  possession  alluded  to  by  the  New 
Testament  writers  something  peculiar  to  that  period  of  the  world's 
history?  or  (2)  Was  this  terrible  state,  into  which  certain  human 
beings  had  fallen,  merely  what  is  now  termed  '  dumbness,'  '  blindness,' 
*  epilepsy,'  and  the  many  and  varied  forms  of  insanity?  If  we  accept 
(2),  we  should  be  much  perplexed  when  we  read  the  very  positive 
words  on  this  subject  spoken  in  the  Gospels  and  Acts  by  the  Saviour 
and  His  disciples.  They  certainly  treated  the  unfortunate  persons  as 
positively  possessed  by  evil  spirits ;  and  on  more  than  one  occasion  a 
dialogue  was  held  between  the  Saviour  and  the  lost  spirit.  On  many 
grounds  we  must  reject  (2).  The  terms  used  to  designate  demonic 
agency  ('possessed  with  demons,'  'vexed  with  unclean  spirits,'  etc.), 
and  to  dc-cribe  the  cure  ('  casting  out'),  as  well  as  Christ's  discourses 
which  go  on  the  presumption  of  the  reality  of  their  possession  (Matt. 
10:  8 ;  17 :  21,  etc.),  prove  that  the  demonized  state  was  not  merely  a 


19 :  16-19.]  ACTS  XIX.  281 

16  and  Paul  I  know ;  but  who  are  ye  ?  And  the  man  in 
whom  the  evil  spirit  was  leaped  on  them,  and  mastered 
both  of  them,  and  prevailed  against  them,  so  that  they 

17  fled  out  of  that  house  naked  and  wounded.  And  this 
became  known  to  all,  both  Jews  and  Greeks,  that 
dwelt  in  Ephesus ;  and  fear  fell  upon  them  all,  and 

18  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  was  magnified.  Many 
also  of  them  that  had  believed  came,  confessing,  and 

19  declaring  their  deeds.  And  not  a  few  of  them  that 
practised  ^curious  arts  brought  their  books  together, 

1  Or,  magical. 

diseased  state  of  the  body,  but  one  of  actual  possession  by  unclean 
spirits, 

Ver.  16.  The  man  in  whom  the  evil  spirit  was  leaped  C3 
them.  Strong,  like  the  poor  man  at  Gadara  (Mark  5:  3.  4),  whom 
no  one  could  bind,  so  now,  this  one.  threw  himself  in  a  wild  fury  on 
the  wretched  imitators  of  PauL  —Mastered  both  of  them.  This 
seems  to  imply  that  only  two  of  the  seven  sons  of  Sceva  were  attempt- 
ing to  cast  out  the  evil  spirit.  Ewald  suggests  another  way  of  render- 
ing the  Greek,  '  leaped  on  them  and  mastered  them  on  both  sides,'  that 
i«,  when  they  stood  before  him,  and  afterwards  from  behind  when 
they  fled  from  him. 

Ver.  17.  Fear  fell  upon  them  all.  In  Ephesus,  where  hidden 
arts  were  so  extensively  practised,  and  so  many  were  deceived  by  them, 
such  a  scene  as  the  one  just  related  would  be  likely  to  make  a  deep 
impression.  The  feeling  that  an  undefined  power  resided  in  the  sacred 
Name  impressed  the  hearts  of  many  in  Ephesus  with  a  dread  such  as 
came  upon  the  Church  when  Ananias  and  his  wife  were  struck  dead 
on  account  of  their  false  dealings  and  lying  to  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Ver.  18.  Many  also  of  them  that  had  believed  came,  etc. 
The  fear  of  the  Unseen  came  not  only  upon  the  superstitious  idolaters 
of  Ephesus,  but  upon  the  church.  It  was  a  saddening  confession, 
however,  for  the  inspired  writer  of  the  Acts  to  put  down.  But  such 
a  statement  pleads  powerfully  for  the  truth  of  the  whole  story.  Luke 
never  hesitates  to  chronicle  the  Church's  shame  as  well  as  the  Church's 
glory.  It  was  indeed  a  humiliating  confession,  which  told  how  mani/ 
of  Paul's  converts  at  Ephesus,  who  apparently  had  devoted  their  lives 
to  Christ,  had  all  the  time  been  committing  deeds  utterly  at  variance 
with  the  pure  and  holy  religion  they  professed. 

Ver.  19.  *  That  practised  curious  arts.  This  seems  to  refer  to 
the  jugglers  themselves,  the  previous  verse  to  their  dupes  (Hackett).— 
Brought  their  books  together,  and  burned  them  in  the 
sight  of  all.     These  books  were,  no  doubt,  filled  with  incantations, 


282  ACTS  XIX.  [19:  20. 

and  burned  them  in  the  sight  of  all :  and  they  counted 
the  price  of  them,  and  found  it  fifty  thousand  pieces  of 
20  silver.     So  mightily  grew  the  word  of  the  Lord  and 
prevailed. 

recipes  for  love  philtres,  formulas  for  casting  out  evil  spirits,  and  the 
like.  Ephesus,  we  know,  swarmed  with  magicians  and  astrologers. 
The  famous  'Ecpeaia  ypafiuoTa,  or  '  Ephesian  spells,'  to  which  allusion  is 
frequently  made  by  heathen  writers,  were  small  slips  of  parchment  in 
silk  bags,  on  which  were  written  cabalistic  words  and  sentences,  which 
men  and  women  were  in  the  habit  of  carrying  about  on  their  persons 
as  charms.  Croesus,  when  on  his  funeral  pile,  repeated  these  '  Ephe- 
sian spells.'  Again  we  are  told  how  once  in  the  Olympian  games  an 
Ephesian  wrestler  -struggled  successfully  with  his  opponent  from  Mi- 
letus, because  he  had  wound  round  his  ankle  some  of  these  *  Ephesian 
charms,'  but  that  being  deprived  of  them  he  was  twice  overthrown 
(Eustathius,  quoted  by  Gloag).  *  This  scene  reminds  us  of  a  similar 
scene  at  Florence,  when,  at  the  bidding  of  the  celebrated  Italian 
preacher  Savonarola,  many  brought  articles  of  luxury  and  rich  gar- 
ments to  the  square  of  St.  Mark  and  burnt  them. — Fifty  thousand 
pieces  of  silver.  The  Roman  denarius  or  Attic  drachma  was  the 
piece  of  silver  alluded  to,  which  was  worth  about  fifteen  cents.  The 
amount  would  be  roughly  about  $8,000  ;  this,  of  course,  representing 
a  much  larger  sum,  considering  the  diminished  value  of  money  in  our 
day.  This  great  amount  must  be  accounted  for  by  remembering  that, 
the  books  in  question  were,  no  doubt,  rare,  and  possessed  a  peculiar 
value  of  their  own  from  the  precious  secrets  they  were  supposed  to 
contain. 

Ver.  20.  So  mightily  grew  the  word  of  the  Lord.  Some- 
where about  this  time  Paul  wrote  his  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  56 
or  57  A.  D.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  Avhen  he  penned  the  words, 
'  For  a  great  door  and  effectual  is  opened  unto  me,  and  there  are  many 
adversaries'  (1  Cor.  xvi.  9),  the  Apostle  was  alluding  to  these  events 
at  Ephesus. 

*  Practical  Notes. — Arguments  are  also  useful  in  leading  men  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  things  of  the  kingdom  (ver.  8).  There  is  a  certain  kind  of  religious  disputa- 
tion which  is  vain  and  unprofitable.  It  takes  up,  and  for  curiosity's  sake  seeks  to 
settle  many  questions  which  the  Gospels  do  not  answer,  and  to  pry  into  the  secrets 
of  the  future,  which  God  does  not  see  fit  to  reveal.  But  men  have  doubts,  and  it 
is  proper  to  meet  them  with  arguments  laying  bare  the  contrary  truths.  Paul  not 
only  reasoned  in  the  sj^nagogue  of  Ephesus,  but  continued  so  to  do  for  three 
months. — A  school-house  or  lecture  hall  (ver.  9),  or  private  parlor,  may  witness  more 
conversions  than  a  church  building.  God  can  Fhine  torth  in  a  burning  bush  in  the 
desert  as  well  as  in  the  Shekinah  of  the  Temple.— The  handkerchiefs  and  aprons, 
which  seemed  to  be  instinct  with  healing  virtue  (ver.  12),  do  not  justify  the  worship  of 
relics  of  saints,  which  prevails  in  some  parts  of  the  Christian  Church.    Christ  is  the 


19:  21.]  ACTS  XIX.  283 

Chapter  19:  21,22. 

Paulas  Desire  to  go  to  Rome. 

21  Now  after  these  things  were  ended,  Paul  purposed 
in  the  spirit,  ^vhen  he  had  passed  through  MacedoDii 
and  Achaia,  to  go  to  Jerusalem,  saying,  After  I  have 

only  healer,  and  in  His  blood  and  nothing  else  is  there  the  virtue  that  atones  for 
Bins.  A  relic,  or  a  shrine,  is  nothing  in  itself.  If  they  serve  as  instruments  for 
working  cures  and  arousing  repentance,  it  is  because  Christ  so  uses  them. — Jesus 
alone  has  power  to  cast  out  the  devil.  Priests  and  preachers  may  promise  forgiveness 
of  sins  on  condition  of  faith,  but  only  God  in  Christ  can  forgive — The  Gospel  disen- 
chants the  mind  of  its  delusions  (ver.  19).  Magic  and  curious  arts  are  the  invention  of 
man  to  discern  the  things  that  are  hidden,  and  to  deceive  and  m^ke  a  prey  of  the 
unwary  and  ignorant.  The  Gospel  not  only  dispels  these  illusions  because  it  is  the 
Truth,  but  imparts  a  knowledge  of  God's  pLins  by  its  light. — Books  (ver.  19)  have  been 
the  engines  of  delusion  and  instruction,  aa  well  as  of  true  mental  and  moral  eleva- 
tion. They  need  to  be  sifted  ;  a  corrupt  and  sceptical  literature  makes  a  corrupt  and 
infidel  people.  That  which  has  corrupted  and  debased  ourselves,  deserves  only  the 
fire.  Though  the  thing  be  worth  thousands  of  dollars,  it  will  be  utterly  destroyed  if 
we  truly  and  sincerely  repent  (ver.  18). 

PauVs  Desire  to  go  to  Rome,  vers.  21,  22. 

Ver.  21.  After  these  things  were  ended.  The  labors  pre- 
vious to  the  completion  of  the  work  of  laying  the  foundation-stories  of 
churches  in  Ephesus  and  the  neighboring  Asian  cities.  Some  two  years 
and  three  months  had  been  spent  by  Paul  and  his  companions  in  this 
work.  The  little  society  of  missionaries  was  now  broken  up.  Two  of 
them  were  despatched  by  Paul  into  Europe,  and  he  himself  intended 
to  follow  soon.  Through  Macedonia  and  Achaia,  to  go  to 
Jerusalem.  He  had  a  tw^ofold  object  in  this  visit.  The  first  was  to 
stir  up  the  faith  of  the  churches,  and  correct  any  disorders  which  might 
be  disturbing  their  development,  such  as  were  at  that  time  distracting 
the  peace  of  the  church  of  Corinth.  The  second  was  to  bring  to  a 
close  the  collection  for  the  poor  saints  at  .Jerusalem  (Rom.  lo :  25 ;  1 
Cor.  16:  1-3).  Paul  wished  to  take  back  a  generous  contribution  with 
him  to  Jerusalem.  Such  an  unsought-for  gift  might  do  something  to 
move  the  stubborn  hearts  of  the  exclusive  party  among  the  Jewish 
Christians,  who  still  grudged  any  concession  which. admitted  the  Gen- 
tiles to  a  share  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  I  must  also  see  Rome. 
This  had  been  evidently  a  long  and  cherished  plan  of  Paul's.  He  al- 
ludes to  it  very  distinctly  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  1: 13  :  '  I  would 
not  have  you  ignorant,  brethren,  that  oftentimes  I  purposed  to  come 
unto  you'  (see,  in  the  same  epistle,  15  :  23,  24,  and  28).  He  must  have 
heard  much  of  the  congregation  in  Rome,  gathered  together,  we  have 
reason  to  think,  in  those  very  early  days,  immediately  succeeding  the 


284  ACTS  XIX.  [19:  22,  23. 

22  been  there,  I  must  also  see  Rome.  And  having  sent 
into  Macedonia  two  of  them  that  ministered  unto  him, 
Timothy  and  Erastus,  he  himself  stayed  in  Asia  for  a 
while. 

Chapter  19:  23-34. 

Demetrius  excites  a  Tumult  against  the  Christians. 

23  And  about  that  time  there  arose  no  small  stir  con- 
Church's  first  Pentecost.  Priscilla  and  Aquila,  who  had  come  from 
Rome  to  Corinth,  had,  no  doubt,  given  him  accounts  which  excited  in 
him  a  desire  to  visit  the  city  ;  from  thence  he  had  heard,  no  doubt,  many- 
times  of  the  burning  faith  and  devotion  of  the  poor,  despised  brother- 
hood gathered  under  the  shadow  of  the  great  palace  of  imperial  Rome. 
The  journey  was  carried  out,  at  length,  but  not  as  the  Apostle  had 
planned.  He  saw  Rome  with  his  own  eyes,  but  as  a  prisoner  and  in 
chains.  *  From  Jerysalem  to  Rome  !  The  words  are  full  of  signifi- 
cance. That  was  the  direction  of  the  Gospel,  but  Paul  was  not  pur- 
posing to  stop  there,  but  intended  to  continue  on  further  towards  Spain 
(Rom.  15:  28).  Not  even  Alexander  had  a  broader  plan  or  a  bolder 
heart  than  Paul.  The  religion  of  Christ  in  his  view  was  a  great  world 
religion,  and  was  adapted  to  be  the  governing  principle  of  conduct  in 
Rome,  the  seat  of  power,  as  in  Athens,  the  seat  of  wisdom,  or  Jerusa- 
lem, the  seat  of  the  Temple.  Bengel  well  says,  '  Faith  in  Christ,  and 
the  truth  of  Christ  enlarged  Paul's  heart.'  The  kingdom  of  Christ 
was  worthy  to  rule  every  empire. 

Ver.  22.  Timothy  and  Erastus.  Timothy  was  directed  to  pass 
on  to  Corinth,  to  prepare  the  church  there  for  the  approaching  visit  of 
the  Apostle  (1  Cor.  4:  17-19).  Erastus  was  most  likely  the  same  as 
the  person  alluded  to  in  Rom.  xvi.  23  as  the  treasurer  of  Corinth,  and 
was  not  improbably  chosen  as  the  companion  of  Timothy,  on  the  sup- 
position that  his  rank  would  be  a  support  to  him.  "'^Many  of  the  best 
critics,  however,  identify  this  Erastus  with  the  one  spoken  of  in  2  Tim. 
4:  20,  and  distinguish  him  from  the  treasurer  of  Rom.  16:  23. 
(Neander,  DeWette,  Meyer,  Hackett).— He  himself  stayed  in  Asia 
for  a  "while.  He  appears  to  have  gone  on  with  his  work  for  several 
months  after  the  burning  of  the  precious  works  on  magic,  until  the 
uproar  excited  by  the  panic-stricken  artificers  who  lived  on  the  pil- 
grims to  the  great  Diana  shrine.  This  tumult  evidently  cut  short 
this  renewed  period  of  Paul's  activity,  and  he  seems  to  have  left  Ephe- 
sus  and  his  work  there  with  some  precipitancy. 

Demetrius  excites  a  Tumult  against  the  Christians,  vers.  23-34. 

Ver.  23,  No  small  stir  concerning  the  Way.  '  The  Way  '  seems 
to  have  been  used  familiarly  as  a  term  signifying  the  disciples  of  Christ 
(chap.  9:  2;  19:  9;  22:  4;  24:   14  and  22).    Plumptre  suggests,  with 


19:  24,25.]  ACTS  XIX.  285 

24  cerning  the  Way.  For  a  certain  man  named  Deme- 
trius, a  silversmith,  which  made  silver  shrines  of 
^Diana,  brought  no  little  business  unto  the  craftsmen ; 

25  whom  he  gathered  together,  with  the  workmen  of  like 

*  Gr.  Artemis. 

great  force,  that  this  name  for  the  disciples,  or  their  religion,  origin- 
ated in  the  words  in  which  Christ  had  claimed  to  be  himself  the  '  Jf'ay,' 
as  well  as  the  '  Truth '  and  the  '  Life,'  or  in  his  language  as  to  the 
'  strait  way '  that  led  to  eternal  life  ;  or  perhaps  again  to  the  prophecy 
of  Isa.  40 :  3,  cited  by  the  Baptist  (Matt.  3  :  3,  Mark  1 :  3),  as  to  prepar- 
ing the  '  tcai/ '  of  the  Lord. 

*  Ver.  24.  For  a  certain  man  named  Demetrius,  a  silver- 
smith, -which  made  silver  shrines  of  Diana.  The  temple  of 
Diana  or  Artemis  was  the  glory  of  Ephesus,  was  built  of  white  mar- 
ble, and  was  esteemed  by  the  ancients  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
world.  The  sun,  it  was  said,  in  its  course  saw  nothing  more  magnifi- 
cent than  the  temple  at  Ephesus.  On  the  night  in  which  Alexander 
the  Great  was  born  (356  B.C.)  a  fanatic,  named  Herostratus,  destroyed 
the  temple  by  fire.  It  rose,  however,  again  speedily  from  its  ashes, 
and  was  adorned  with  more  sumptuous  magnificence  than  before.  The 
ladies  of  Ephesus  contributed  their  jewellery  to  assist  in  the  restora- 
tion work.  When  the  Goths  sacked  Ephesus  in  262  a.  d.,  the  temple 
was  robbed  of  its  treasures  and  defaced.  It  was  never  restored,  but 
gradually  fell  into  ruins,  and  finally  became  so  completely  covered 
with  the  detritus  of  the  river  that  its  very  site  was  a  matter  of  conjec- 
ture till  Mr,  Woods  famous  discoveries  (1863-74).  Its  marbles,  how- 
ever, were  used  for  other  buildings,  and  some  of  its  graceful  columns 
are  said  to  be  incorporated  in  the  mosque  of  St.  Sophia  at  Constanti- 
nople, once  a  Christian  Church.  The  temple  at  Ephesus  was  of  vast 
size  and  exquisite  proportions,  425  feet  in  length  and  220  feet  in 
breadth.  It  was  supported  by  127  columns  sixty  feet  high.  The  fold- 
ing doors  were  of  cypress  wood ;  the  part  which  was  not  open  to  the 
sky  was  roofed  over  with  cedar ;  the  staircase  was  formed  of  the  wood 
of  one  single  vine  from  the  island  of  Cyprus.  In  the  temple  treasury, 
in  its  palmy  days,  a  great  treasure  was  supposed  to  be  laid  up,  A 
large  establishment  of  coelibate  priests  and  virgin  priestesses  was  kept 
up  for  the  service  of  the  goddess. — Brought  no  little  business 
unto  the  craftsmen.  The  pilgrims  were  in  the  habit,  before  they 
left  Ephesus,  of  buying,  as  memorials  of  their  visit,  small  models  of 
the  temple,  or  "shrines,"  possibly  containing  a  little  image  of  the 
goddess.  The  workmen  of  Demetrius  used  silver  in  their  construc- 
tion. These  little  models  of  temples  were  often  set  up  in  homes,  and 
were  not  unfrequently  of  such  a  size  that  they  could  be  conveniently 
carried  about  upon  the  person.  These  models  were  not  only  sold  in 
Ephesus,  but  were  sent  as  articles  of  traffic  into  distant  countries, 

Ver.  25,     "Whom  he  gathered  together.     No  doubt  Demetrius 
was  chief  of  the  'guild'  of  silversmiths,  as  we  should  say. 


286  ACTS  XIX.  [19:  26-28. 

occupation,  and  said,  Sirs,  ye  know  that  by  this  busi- 

26  ness  we  have  our  wealth.  And  ye  see  and  hear,  that 
not  alone  at  Ephesus,  but  almost  throughout  all  Asia, 
this  Paul  hath  persuaded  and  turned  away  much  peo- 
ple, saying  that  they  be  no  gods,  which  are  made  with 

27  hands:  and  not  only  is  there  danger  that  this  our 
trade  come  into  disrepute;  but  also  that  the  temple  of 
the  great  goddess  ^Diana  be  made  of  no  account,  and 
that  she  should  even  be  deposed  from  her  magnifi- 
cence, whom  all  Asia  and  ^the  world  worshippeth. 

28  And  when  they  heard  this,  they  were  filled  with' 
wrath,  and  cried  out,  saying,  Great  is  ^Diana  of  the 

1  Gr.  Artemis.  2  Gr.  the  inhabited  earth. 

Ver.  26.  This  Paul  hath  persuaded  and  turned  away 
much  people.  This  testimony  of  the  '  shrine-maker '  of  Ephesus  to 
the  rapid  success  of  the  preaching  of  Christianity  is  thoroughly  borne 
out  by  witnesses  outside  the  New  Testament  writers.  The  words  of 
the  Roman  governor  Pliny  have  already  been  quoted  (see  the  note  on 
ver.  10).  The  Church  Father  Tertullian,  of  Carthage,  at  another  ex- 
tremity of  the  Roman  Empire,  in  the  far  west  of  the  north  of  Africa, 
writing  towards  the  end  of  the  second  century,  says :  '  We  are  a  people 
of  yesterday,  and  yet  we  have  filled  every  place  belonging  to  you, 
cities,  islands,  castles,  towns,  assemblies,  your  very  camp,  your  tribes, 
companies,  palaces,  senate,  forum :  we  leave  .your  temples  only ' 
[Apologeticum,  chap,  xxxvii.). — Saying  that  they  be  no  gods, 
•which  are  made  with  hands.  The  comment  of  Professor 
Plumptre  on  these  words  of  the  '  shrine-maker '  is  admirable.  '  The 
wrath  of  the  mob-leader  leads  him  virtually  to  commit  himself  to  the 
opposite  statement  that  the  idol  is  the  god.  Philosophers  may  speak 
of  symbolism  and  ideal  representation,  but  this  was  and  always  has 
been  and  will  be  the  conclusion  of  popular  idolatry.  With  these 
words  of  the  idol  artificer  should  be  compared  the  striking  picture  of 
an  idol  made  to  be  worshipped  by  Isa.  44:  9-18,  and  Paul's  words  to 
the  Athenians  (17:  29),  Demetrius  was  actuated  chiefly  by  sordid 
motives  in  his  zeal  for  Diana. 

Ver.  27.  "Whom  all  Asia  and  the  world  w^orshippeth. 
This  was  literally  true.  The  temple  was,  with  that  of  Delphi,  the 
most  famous  in  the  world,  and  a  place  of  resort  for  people  from  all 
parts  of  Asia  Minor  and  Greece, 

Ver.  28,  Great  is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians,  The  'idol'  it- 
self, shrined  in  the  magnificent  temple.  It  was  very  difi"erent  from 
the  fair  form  of  the  beautiful  huntress  Diana,  represented  in  Greek 
art  with  a  bow  in  her  hand  and  a  stag  at  her  side.     It  was  a  rude, 


19:  29-31.]  ACTS  XIX.  287 

29  Ephesians.  And  the  city  was  filled  with  the  confu- 
sion :  and  they  rushed  with  one  accord  into  the  theatre, 
having  seized  Gains  and  Aristarchus,  men   of  Mace- 

30  donia,  PauFs  companions  in  travel.  And  when  Paul 
was  minded  to  enter  in  unto  the  people,  the  disciples 

31  suffered  him  not.      And   certain   also   of  the   ^chief 

1  Gr.  Asiarchs. 

many-breasted  female  figure,  ending  below  the  breasts  in  a  square 
pillar  curiously  carved  with  ancient  symbols  of  bees,  corn  and  flowers. 
In  common  with  other  prized  images,  it  was  reputed  to  have  fallen 
from  heaven. 

Ver.  29,  The  city  was  filled  with  the  confusion.  We  can 
well  understand  how  easily  the  report  that  a  hitherto  despised  company 
of  foreign  Jews  were  engaged  in  a  conspiracy  to  discredit  the  worship 
of  the  goddess  would  bring  together  a  vast  crowd  of  Ephesians  of 
all  ranks  and  callings,  and  how  soon  the  city  would  be  disturbed  by 
an  uproar  of  excitement.— Gains  and  Aristarchus.  Gains  is  the 
Greek  equivalent  for  the  well-known  Latin  name  of  Caius.  Three 
other  persons  called  Gains  are  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament :  Gaius 
of  Derbe,  Acts  20  :  4  ;  Gains  of  Corinth,  1  Cor.  1:14;  Gaius  of  Ephe- 
sus,  to  whom  the  Third  Epistle  of  John  was  addressed.  Aristarchus 
accompanied  Paul  to  Jerusalem  (Acts  20:  4),  and  was  with  him  in  the 
memorable  voyage  which  terminated  in  the  shipwreck  off"  Melita  (Acts 
27:  2).  He  seems  to  have  been  the  Apostle's  companion  during  his 
first  imprisonment  at  Rome,  as  he  is  mentioned  in  the  Epi'^tle  to  the 
Colossians,  chap.  4:  10,  and  in  the  little  letter  to  Philemon,  ver.  24. — 
They  rushed  with  one  accord  into  the  theatre.  The  theatre 
of  Ephesus  was  capable  of  accommodating,  according  to  the  usual  com- 
putation, at  least  25,000  persons.  It  was  used  not  only  for  dramatic 
representations,  but  also  for  great  shows  of  gladiators,  who  fought 
sometimes  one  with  the  other,  sometimes  with  wild  beasts.  They  were 
also  favorite  meeting-places  for  the  citizens,  when  on  any  momentous 
occasion  they  were  called  together.  This  was  the  custom  in  Greek,  not 
in  Roman  cities.  *  Paul,  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  no  doubt  had 
in  his  mind  the  temple  and  the  gladiatorial  contests,  when  he  so  vividly 
depicts  the  well  panoplied  Christian  warrior,  '  who  wrestles  not 
against  flesh  and  blood'  (Eph.  6  :  10-18). 

Ver.  30.  The  disciples  suffered  him  not.  Paul,  with  impet- 
uous zeal,  would  not  suffer  his  '  companions  in  travel'  to  be  exposed  to 
danger  without  his  being  at  their  side  to  defend  them  But  the  dis- 
ciples, no  doubt  men  of  Ephesus,  who  knew  well  their  countrymen's 
feelings  on  the  subject  of  their  goddess,  would  not  sutferhim  to  expose 
himself  so  uselessly  to  a  deadly  peril. 

Ver.  31.  Certain  also  of  the  chief  oflBcers  of  Asia.  Liter- 
ally, Asiarchs,  [which  the  American  Revisers  give,  and  which  is  to  be 


288  ACTS  XIX.  [19  S  32-33. 

officers  of  Asia,*  being  his  friends,  sent  unto  him,  and 
besought  him  not  to  adventure  himself  into  the  theatre. 

32  Some  therefore  cried  one  thing,  and  some  another:  for 
the  assembly  was  in  confusion  ;    and  the  more  part 

33  knew  not  wherefore  they  were  come  together.  ^And 
they  brought  Alexander  out  of  the  multitude,  the  Jews 
putting  him  forward.  And  Alexander  beckoned  with 
the  hand,  and  would  have  made  a  defence  unto  the 

*  For  '  chief  officers  of  Asia'  read  '  Asiarchs  '  (with  raarg.  i.  e.  officers  having  charge 

of  festivals  in  the  Koman  province  of  Asia). — Am.  Com. 

1  Or,  And  some  of  the  miillilude  instructed  Alexander. 

preferred.  It  is  the  exact  word  which  is  used  in  the  Greek.]  These 
officials  were  ten  in  number,  chosen  annually  to  superintend  the  games 
and  festivals  held  in  honor  of  the  emperor  and  the  gods.  They  were 
selected  from  the  cities  of  Proconsular  Asia.  Upon  them  fell  the  ex- 
pense of  providing  these  costly  games — the  hiring  of  gladiators,  the 
importing  of  wild  beasts,  and  many  other  t^maller  expenses.  The 
games  of  Ephesus  were  held  in  the  month  of  May  in  honor  of  Diana. 
We  read,  not  many  years  after  this  uproar  in  the  Ephesian  theatre,  of 
another  Asiarch,  '  Philip,'  being  asked  at  Smyrna  to  let  loose  a  lion  on 
Polycarp,  and  declining  to  do  so.  — Being  his  friends.  It  has  been 
often  observed  how  singularly  courteous,  even  friendly  to  Paul,  were 
so  many  of  those  in  high  official  position  with  whom  he  was  brought 
into  contact,  as  Sergius  Paulus  and  Gallio,  Felix  and  Festus  in  Caesarea, 
these  chiefs  of  Asia ;  the  centurion  who  had  charge  of  Paul  in  the 
voyage  to  Rome  (ch.  27).  It  is  probable  that  among  these  Asiarchs 
were  some  secret  members  of  the  brotherhood  of  Christ. 

Ver.  32.  Some  cried  one  thing,  and  some  another.  Evi- 
dently this  is  a  personal  recollection  of  some  one  who  was  present.  A 
vast  concourse  of  people  had  been  gathered  together,  all  moved  by 
some  vague  sense  of  injury,  but  the  larger  part  uncertain,  what  the 
exact  nature  of  the  difficulty  was. 

Ver.  33.  They  brought  Alexander  out  of  the  multitude. 
The  abrupt  way  in  which  this  man  is  introduced  into  the  narrative  by 
the  writer,  seems  to  indicate  that  Alexander  was  not  an  unknown 
name  to  the  brethren.  If  we  identify  him  with  that  Alexander  the 
coppersmith  whose  relentless  hostility  to  Paul  won  him  that  solitary 
notice  in  the  last  Epistle  of  the  Apostle  (2  Tim.  4 :  14),  then  the  abrupt 
mention  here  of  'Alexander'  is  explained, — all  would  at  once  recognise 
the  deadly  foe  of  the  Gentile  Apostle,  who  subsequently  acquired  so 
painful  a  notoriety  among  the  Christians.  The  Jews  on  this  occasion 
aware  that  they  were  liable  to  be  confounded  with  Paul  and  his  dis- 
ciples, put  forward  one  of  their  number  to  explain  to  the  Ephesians 
that  they,  far  from  being  inculpated  with  Paul,  hated  him.  If,  as  we 
suppose,  this  man  was  identical  with  Alexander  the  coppersmith,  his 


19:34,35].  ACTS  XIX.  289 

34  people.  But  when  tbej  perceived  that  he  was  a  Jew, 
all  with  one  voice  about  the  space  of  two  hours  cried 
out,  Great  is  ^Diana  of  the  Ephesians. 

Chapter  19:  35-41  ♦ 

35  Speech  of  the  Townderh  quelling  the  Tumult. 

And  when  the  town  clerk  had  quieted  the  multitude, 
he  saith,  Ye  men  of  Ephesus,  what  man  is  there  who 
knoweth  not  how  that  the  city  of  the  Ephesians  is  temple- 
keeper  of  the  great  ^Diana,  and  of  the  image  which  fell 

1  Gr.  Artemis, 

trade  might  have  led  him  into  certain  relations  with  Demetrius  and 
his  fellow-craftsmen  who  also  worked  in  metal, 

Yer.  34.  "When  they  perceived  that  he  was  a  Jew.  The 
old  Gentile  hate  of  the  Jews  at  once  flamed  out.  The  crowd  refused 
to  hear  him,  and  perhaps  confounding  him  with  the  friends  of  Paul. — 
All  "With  one  voice  a^out  the  space  of  two  hours  cried 
out.  This  strange  repetition  was,  perhaps,  no  mere  tumultuous  ex- 
pression of  fervid  loyalty  to  the  goddess,  but  an  act  of  worship.  Com- 
pare a  similar  procedure  on  the  part  of  the  worshippers  of  Baal  in  the 
days  of  Jezebel,  who  'from  morn  even  until  noon  cried,  saying,  0 
Baal,  hear  us!'  fl  Kinp  xviii.  26).  The  Mohammedans  and  the 
worshippers  of  Brahma  in  India  to  this  day  often  for  entire  days 
practise  these  vain  senseless  repetitions. 

Speech  of  the  Townderk  quelling  the  Tumult,  vers.  35-41. 

Ver.  35.  "When  the  townderk.  The  functions  of  this  official, 
in  some  respects,  corresponded  to  those  fulfilled  by  the  recorder  of 
modern  times.  His  immediate  duty  consisted  in  the  guardianship  and 
tabulation  of  the  state  papers  and  archives  of  the  city,  and  in  drawing 
up  the  public  records.  The  name  has  been  found  by  Mr.  Wood 
engraved  on  marbles  set  up  as  memorials  of  some  public  ceremony.  It 
seems  probable  that  this  office  was  a  permanent  one,  and  his  influence 
was  no  doubt  greater  than  even  the  presiding  Asiarch  of  the  year. — 
The  city  of  the  Ephesians  is  temple-keeper  of  the  great 
Diana.  The  Greek  word  (neokoros)  literally  means  temple-sweeper, 
and  answers  to  Sacristan,  originally  a  title  of  one  employed  in  the  low- 
est offices  connected  with  a  temple.  The  proudest  cities  became  eager 
to  appropriate  a  title  which  seemed  to  connect  them  in  a  peculiarly 
close  relation  with  the  deity  of  whose  earthly  house  they  were  the 
recognised  guardians.  So  in  the  case  of  magnificent  Ephesus,  the  city's 
proiidest  title  to  honor  was  its  loving  care  for  the  worship  of  the  great 
Diana.  The  title  is  constantly  found  on  the  city  coins.  In  some  of 
the  inscriptions  Diana  is  designated  "the  Most  High"  and  "the 
Greatest."  The  appeal  of  the  town-clerk  to  his  fellow-citizens  to  pre- 
19 


290  ACTS  XIX.  [19:  SG-CS 

36  down  from  ^Jupiter  ?    Seeing  then  that  these  things  can- 
not be  gainsaid,  ye  ought  to  be  quiet,  and  to  do  nothing 

37  rash.     For  ye  have  bi'ought  hither  these  men,  whicli 
are  neither  robbers  of  temples  nor  blasphemers  of  our 

38  goddess.     If  therefore  Demetrius,  and  the  craftsmen 

1  Or,  heaven. 

serve  order  would  at  once  conciliate  his  hearers  hy  this  ready  allusion 
to  the  well-known  favorite  appellation  of  the  city.  It  was  as  thoiij  h 
he  said,  '  My  fellow-citizens,  why  imperii  your  cherished  privileges 
and  affront  Rome  by  an  unseemly  uproar  about  a  question  which  alter 
all  no  sensible  man  could  ever  entertain;  for,  does  not  all  the  civilized 
world  know  how  loyal  Ephesus  is  to  her  great  protecting  goddess? 
These  men  can  never  shake  our  allegiance  to  and  the  world's  belief  in 
that  mighty  Diana  there,'  no  doubt  pointing  to  the  proud  temple  in 
full  view  of  the  crowded  audience.  "^Dr.  Hackett,  (whom  ("anon  Farrar 
follows),  thus  presents  the  argument  of  the  recorder.  Your  excite- 
ment is  undignified.  It  is  vnjustifiahle,  as  nothing  can  be  proved  against 
the  parties  accused.  It  is  unnecessary,  for  other  means  of  redress  are 
open,  and  finally  if  neither  pride  nor  justice  avail  with  you,  fear  of 
the  Roman  power  should  restrain  3'oD. — The  image  "which  fell 
do"wn  from  Jupiter.  Like  other  venerated  idols  of  the  Pagan 
world,  the  statue  of  Diana  was  supposed  to  have  fallen  from  the  skies. 
In  like  manner  tradition  ascribed  a  heavenly  origin  to  the  Diana  of 
Tauris,  the  Athene  Polias  of  Athens,  the  Ceres  of  Sicily,  the  Cybele  of 
Pessinus,  the  Venus  of  Paphos,  the  Palladium  of  Troy  and  the  Ancile 
at  Rome.     It  is  possible  that  some  of  them  were  meteoric  stones. 

Ver.  36.  Ye  ought  to  be  quiet.  The  town-clerk  seems  to  be 
throughout  his  harangue  intensely  anxious  that  his  city  should  not 
incur  the  displeasure  of  Rome. 

Ver.  37.  Nor  blasphemers  of  our  goddess.  To  undermine 
the  Pagan  religions,  the  Apostles  a<^lopted  other  means  than  pillage  and 
violent  denunciation.  Paul's  address  to  the  Athenians  on  Mars  Hill 
was  an  instance  of  his  treatment  of  the  ancient  superstition.  He  hurt 
no  religious  prejudices  by  rude  invective.  He  was  no  blasphemer  of 
the  gods  of  Greece  and  Rome,  but  led  men  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth  by  a  positive  representation  of  it.  Paul  and  his  immediate  follow- 
ers no  doubt  owed  notalittleof  thpir  influence  over  men's  hearts  to  tlicir 
winning  and  graceful  courtesy,  to  their  chivalrous  consideration  for  the 
feelings  of  others.     Paul  had  done  his  work  in  Ephesus  quietly. 

Ver.  38.  If  Demetrius  ....  have  a  matter  against  any 
man,  the  courts  are  open.  Demetrius  and  his  fellow-craftsmen 
had  evidently  taken  a  course  which  was  unjustifiable  and  might  ijring 
the  city  into  disrepute.  If  some  law  had  been  infringed,  let  Demetrius 
and  the  others  proceed  against  Paid  and  his  friends.  The  law  was 
open.     Ephesus  was  what  we  should  now  term  an  assize  town,  and 


19 :  39,  40.]  ACTS  XIX.  291 

that  are  with  him,  have  a  matter  against  any  man,  ^  the 
courts  are  open,  and  there  are  proconsuls:  let  them 

39  accuse  one  another.  But  if  ye  seek  anything  about 
other  matters,  it  shall  be  settled  in  the  regular  assem- 

40  bly.  For  indeed  we  are  in  danger  to  be  ^accused  con- 
cerning this  day's  riot,  there  being  no  cause  jor  it: 
and  as  touching  it  we  shall  not  be  able  to  give  account 

1  Or,  court  days  are  Icept.  '^  Or,  accused  of  riot  eonceming  this  day. 

the  Roman  officials  held  courts  at  intervals  in  all  these.  It  was  also  a 
free  city,  and  had  its  local  courts  and  magistrates.  It  i3  not  improba- 
ble that  the  words  of  the  town-clerk  signified  :  '  At  this  instant  the 
proconsul  is  on  circuit,  and  is  just  now  at  Ephesus.' — There  are 
proconsuls.  In  the  time  of  Paul,  Asia  being  a  senatorial  province, 
was  governed  by  a  proconsul.  The  only  difficulty  in  the  term  is,  that 
it  is  in  the  plural,  while  only  one  of  these  officials  held  office  in  the 
senatorial  province.  It  has  been  suggested  that  the  term  includes  the 
proconsul  and  his  assessors.  It  is,  however,  more  probable  that  the 
term  is  used  in  a  general  sense,  as  we  should  say :  *  The  province  of 
Asia,  with  its  capital  Ephesus,  is  governed  by  proconsuls.' 

Ver.  39.  It  shall  be  settled  in  the  regular  assembly.  The 
crowd  of  citizens  he  was  then  addressing  was  simply  a  mob  gathering; 
their  decisions  could  have  no  weight.  Such  a  meeting  would  only  tend 
to  damage  the  city  in  the  eyes  of  the  Roman  government.  *The  term 
here  used  for  assembly  [ecclesia)  is  the  one  usually  translated  church. 
The  town-clerk  speaks  in  a  tone  of  firmness  and  authority. 

Ver.  40.  In  danger  to  be  accused  concerning  this  day's 
riot.  That  is,  before  the  Roman  Senate  and  Roman  officials.  The 
prized  liberties  of  their  city  might  in  consequence  have  been  forfeited. 
There  was  a  Roman  law  which  made  it  a  capital  offence  to  raise  a  riot. 

*  Qui  ccetum  et  concursum  fecerit  capitate  sit'    (Seneca,    Controv.  iii.  8). 

*  Qui  coetum  et  concursum  fecerit  capite puniatur  Sulpicius  Victor^  (Instit. 
oral.,  quoted  by  Gloag). 

*  rRACTiCA.L  Notes. — Man's  nature  craves  a  being  to  worship.  Failing  to  find 
the  true  God,  men  have  invented  falbe  gods.  In  this  process  they  have  gradually 
lost  sight  of  what  Christianity  has  gradually  taught  the  world  to  regard  as  the  first 
principles  of  religious  knowledge.  They  have  built  temples  and  forgot  that  the 
whole  world  is  God's  tempi  • ;  Ihey  have  made  images  and,  believing  that  the  divinity 
resided  in  them,  have  forgot  that  God  is  Spirit.  This  original,  divinely  implanted  re- 
ligious instinct,  the  (Jospel  does  not  create  but  restores  and  satisfies. — The  argument 
which  Demetri  iis  ad vaneed  in  favor  of  Diana  was,  that  her  temple  was  a  magnificent  or- 
nament to  the  city,  and  au  enormous  source  of  profit.  The  argument  which  the  mis- 
sionary advances  iu  favor  of  the  Gospel  is  that  it  makes  men  good  and  jwints  them  to 
glory.— That  which  profits  the  purse  may  ruin  the  soul.     The  temple  of  the  great 


292  ACTS  XX.  [20:  1. 

41  of  this  concourse.     And  when  he  had  thus  spoken,  he 
dismissed  the  assembly. 

Chapter  20:  1-6. 

PauVs  last  Journey  through  Greece. 

20  1     And  after  the  uproar  was  ceased,  Paul  having 
sent  for  the  disciples  and  exhorted  them,  took  leave  of 

Diana  enriched  the  city  of  Ephesus  by  making  it  a  place  of  pilgrimage,  I  u^  it  cor- 
rupted her  morals  and  failed  to  enrijh  her  priests  and  priestesses  with  noble  aspira- 
tions and  pure  purposes. — Popular  tumults  endangered  Paul's  life  but  did  not  frighten 
away  his  apostolic  resolution  (vs.  3t)-31).  Prudent  and  courteous  speech  is  better 
than  violent  threats  and  angry  denunciations.  By  such  means  the  town  clerk 
quieted  the  Epliesian  mob — Offensive  denunciations  of  religious  beliefs  that  men 
hold  sacred,  are  not  sanctioned  by  tlie  New  Testament  or  prudence.  Paul  at  no  time 
assailed  with  opprobrious  epithets  the  superstitions  of  the  people  whom  he  addressed 
or  insulted  their  idols  (v.  37).— The  true  Christian  does  not  so  much  abominate  the 
products  of  men's  perverted  wisdom,  as  pity  their  misery. — The  best  way  to  eradicate 
error  is  to  present  new  truth,  and  to  dispel  old  superstitions  to  portray  a  new  object 
of  worship.  Saul's  evil  spirit  of  melancholy  was  driven  away  by  the  sweet  music  of 
David's  harp.  Little  is  gained  by  denouncing  what  men  hold  dear.  The  kingdom  of 
God  does  not  conquer  but  by  love  and  the  uplifting  of  Christ. — Koman  law  aided  the 
progress  of  the  Gospel.  It  apologized  to  Paul  at  Philippi,  protected  him  at  Corinth 
(Gallio)  and  sheltered  him  by  subduing  the  mob  at  Ephesus.  The  prevalence  of 
morality  and  the  sway  of  justice,  are  favorable  to  the  spread  of  true  religion,  which 
seeks  to  root  morality  in  a  holy  disposition  and  to  extend  the  reign  of  law  by  im- 
planting a  love  and  reverence  for  the  supreme  Lawgiver. 

PauFs  last  Journey  through  Greece,  vers.  1-6. 
Ver.  1.     Paul  departed  for  to  go  into  Macedonia.     There 

is  no  evidence  to  show  that  the  Apostle's  departure  from  Ephesus  was 
caused,  though  it  might  have  been  hastened,  by  the  tumult  described 
in  the  last  chapter.  He  had  determined  before  that  event  to  leave  the 
city  (19:  21,  22),  For  some  reason  to  us  unknown,  the  compiler  of 
this  history  is  very  biief  here,  and  passes  over  without  a  word  an 
important  period  in  Paul's  life.  We  are  able,  however,  to  fill  up  the 
gap  in  the  narrative  from  scattered  notices  in  the  Epistles,  especially 
from  Second  Corinthians.  From  Ephesus,  Paul  seems  to  have  gone 
by  land  direct  to  Troas ;  there  he  waited  anxiously  (2  Cor.  2:  13)  for 
Titus,  whom  he  had  sent  to  Corinth  on  a  mission  connected  with  the 
collection  then  being  made  by  the  Gentile  churches  for  the  relief  of 
the  Church  of  Jerusalem,  and  on  account  of  the  grave  disorders  exist- 
ing in  the  turbulent  Corinthian  brotherhood.  But  Titus'  coming  was 
delayed,  and  the  Apostle  sailed  over  from  Troas  to  Macedonia,  where 
Titus  met  him,  bringing  news  from  Corinth  (2  Cor.  7 :  6 j.     This  meet- 


20  •.  2-4.]  ACTS  XX.  293 

2  them,  and  departed  for  to  go  into  Macedonia.  And 
when  he  had  gone  through  those  parts,  and  had  given 

3  them  much  exhortation,  he  came  into  Greece.  And 
when  he  had  spent  three  months  there,  and  a  j^lot  was 
laid  against  him  by  the  Jews,  as  he  was  about  to  set 
sail  for  Syria,  he  determined  to  return  through  Mace- 

ing  may  have  occurred  at  Philippi  The  Second  Epistle  to  the  Co- 
rinthians was  written  evidently  from  there.  [Ihis  can  hardly  be  said 
to  be  certain.  The  Epistle  was  written  some  time  after  Paul's  de- 
parture from  Ephesusand  during  his  stay  in  Macedonia  (2  Cor.  9:  24)]. 
Charged  with  this  letter,  Titus  was  sent  back  again  to  Corinth. 

Ver.  2.  When  he  had  gone  through  those  parts.  Paul 
followed  his  usual  custom  of  visiting  and  confirming  the  churches  al- 
ready established  (15:  41;  18:  23).  He  seems  also  at  this  time  to 
have  preached  in  the  district  roughly  termed  Illyricum  (Pvom.  15  ;  19). 
Then  he  came  into  the  southern  province,  here  teimed  Greece,  the 
Roman  province  of  Achaia ;  and  here  he  at  once  sought  out  its  princi- 
pal city,  the  scene  of  former  labors,   Corinth. 

Ver.  3.  Three  months  there.  AVith  these  few  words  the  writer 
of  the  Acts  refers  to  this  second  residence  of  the  Apostle  in  Corinth. 
[There  is  more  in  favor  of  the  view  that  this  was  Paul's  third  visit  to 
Corinth  (2  Cor.  13:  1).  He  must  have  made  a  flying  trip  to  it  during 
his  three  years'  stay  at  Ephesus.  The  words  in  2  Cor.  1:15  must  not  be 
explained  of  a  second  visit].  He  had  been  absent  three  years,  and  in 
that  period  had  taken  place,  as  the  church  increased,  the  disputes  con- 
cerning the  Lord's  Supper;  the  heart-  burnings  excited  by  party  attach- 
ments to  one  or  other  of  the  Christian  leaders, — himself,  Peter,  and 
Apollos ;  the  agitation  occasioned  by  the  immoral  lives  of  members  of 
the  brotherhood  (See  1  Cor.  1 :  12).  Paul  had  also  sent  them  messages 
through  friends,  such  as  Timothy  and  Erasius  (19:  22) ;  and  by  grave 
and  weighty  letters,  such  as  the  First  and  Second  Corinthian  Epistles, 
letters  which  have  served  as  hand-books  to  the  practical  Christian  life 
ever  since.  During  the  three  months  of  his  stay  at  Corinth,  Paul  wrote 
the  great  Epistle  to  the  Romans  (See  Rom.  16:  1 ;  15:  25,  etc.).  The 
Galatian  XqUqy  possibly  was  written,  too,  at  this  time;  but  it  seems  more 
likely  that  this  shorter  letter,  in  which  the  main  arguments  of  the 
letter  to  the  Romans  were  first  sketched  out,  was  written  at  Ephesus  in 
the  preceding  year. — A  plot  -was  laid  against  him.  Paul's  coun- 
trymen all  through  his  busy  life,  dogged  his  footsteps  with  their  sleep- 
less hostility.  Their  machinations  usually  took  the  form  of  intrigue 
with  the  local  authorities  or  the  populace  (v'^ee  9:  23-29),  at  Damascus 
and  .Jerusalem  (23:  12).  It  was  most  likely  that  the  Jews  on  this 
occasion,  becoming  aware  of  Paul's  intention  to  sail  from  Cenchrea^, 
one  of  the  ports  of  Coi-inth,  watched  the  harbor  in  order  to  kill  him. 
This  would  be  Paul's  natural  place  of  embarkation  for  Syria.     The  plot 


294  ACTS  XX.  [20 :  4,  5. 

4  donia.  And  there  accompanied  him  ^as  far  as  Asia 
Sopater  of  Bercea,  the  son  of  Pyrrhus;  and  of  the 
Thessalonians,  Aristarchus  and  Secuudus ;  and  Gains 
of  Derbe,  and  Timothy;  and  of  Asia,  Tychicus  and 

5  Trophimus.     But  these  ^had  gone  before,   and  were 

1  Many  ancient  authorities  omit  as  far  as  Asia. 
2  Many  ancient  authorities  read  came  a.,d  were  waiting. 

•was  discovered,  and  Paul  determined  to  proceed  by  land,  through 
Macedonia. 

Ver.  4.  There  accompanied  him  as  far  as  Asia,  etc.  Of 
these  companions,  three  were  natives  of  Macedonia  and  four  of  Asia 
Minor.  Of  Sopater  nothing  further  is  known.  The  name,  however, 
occurs  in  an  inscription  still  existing  in  Saloniki  (Thessalonica),  pro- 
bably of  the  date  of  Vespasian,  as  belonging  to  one  of  the  politarchs 
of  that  city.  Aristarchus  had  been  associated  with  Paul  at  Ephesus 
(ch.  19:  29).  Secundus  is  not  mentioned  elsewhere.  Prof.  Plumptre 
ingeniously  suggests  that  this  Secundus,  together  with  Tertius  (Third) 
in  Rom.  16:  22,  and  Quartus  (Fourth)  in  Rom.  16:  23,  were  three  sons 
of  a  disciple  who  had  adopted  this  plan  of  naming  his  children. — Gaius 
of  Derbe.  So  styled  to  distinguish  him  from  another  who  belonged  to 
Macedonia  (19:  29).  Derbe  Avas  near  to  Lj'stra,  both  of  which  towns 
Paul  had  visited  on  his  first  and  second  missionary  journeys. — Timothy. 
The  well-known  disciple  of  Paul,  to  whom  the  two  Epistles  bearing  his 
name  were  addressed. — Tychicus  (Fortunate)  was  probably  a  native  of 
Ephesus,  and  appears  several  times  in  early  apostolic  history.  He  was 
the  bearer  of  the  Epistles  to  the  Colossians  and  Ephesians  from  Paul, 
then  a  prisoner  at  Rome  (Col.  4:  7,  8;  Eph.  6:  21,  22),  and  is  styled 
'  the  beloved  brother  and  faithful  minister  and  fellow  servant  in  the 
Lord.'  In  his  last  Epistle,  Paul  tells  Timothy  '  he  had  sent  Tychicus 
to  Ephesus'  (2  Tim.  4:  12). — Trophimus  accompanied  the  Apostle  on 
this  journey  all  the  way  to  Jerusalem,  and  is  mentioned  in  2  Tim. 
4:  20.  Luke,  the  compiler  of  the  Acts,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  next 
verse,  at  this  juncture  rejoined  the  Apostle,  and  the  narrative  now 
indicates  from  its  minuteness  that  the  writer  was  present  at  the  scenes 
described. 

Ver.  5.  "Were  -waiting  for  us  at  Troas.  Here  the  language  of 
the  narrative  suddenly  changes  from  the  third  person  to  the  first.  The 
writer  Luke  now  had  joined  Paul.  Briefly  to  recapitulate,  the  close 
personal  connection  of  Luke  and  Paul  appears  to  have  dated  from  the 
years  51—52.  They  were  together  from  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  Paul 
at  Troas  (ch.  16:  8) ;  they  crossed  over  together  into  Europe,  but  when 
Paul  left  Philippi  (16:  40),  Luke  was  left  behind,  and,  it  has  been 
supposed,  made  Philippi  the  centre  of  his  work  for  several  years. 
Here  again,  after  the  lapse  of  five  or  six  years,  they  met.  The  rest  of 
the  Acts  is  told  by  an  eye-witness  of  the  various  events  recorded.     We 


20:  6-8.]  ACTS  XX.  295 

6  waiting  for  us  at  Troas.  And  we  sailed  away  from 
Philippi  after  the  days  of  unleavened  bread,  and  came 
unto  them  to  Troae  in  five  days ;  where  we  tarried 
seven  days. 

Chapter  20:  7-12. 
Public  Services  at  Troas. 

7  And  upon  the  first  day  of  the  week,  when  we  were' 
gathered  together  to  break  bread,  Paul  discoursed  with 
them,  intending  to  depart  on  the  morrow ;  and  pro- 

8  longed  his  speech  until  midnight.     And  there  were 

may  therefore  conclude  with  certainty  that  from  this  time  (a.d.  57)» 
till  Paul  -was  entrusted  to  the  charge  of  the  soldier  at  Rome  (a.d.  62). 
Luke  was  continually  with  his  beloved  master  (see  note  on  16:  10), 
Two  reasons  have  been  suggested  for  Taul's  remaining  at  Philippi,  while 
his  companions  went  on  before  him  to  Troas,  that  they  might  make 
arrangements  for  the  gathering  of  the  disciples  of  Troas  to  meet  the 
Apostle ;  and  that  Paul  might  keep  the  Passover  with  all  quiet  solemnity 
(Chrys.,  Meyer).  We  know  he  was  ever  anxious  to  conciliate  his 
countrymen,  and  whenever  he  could  do  so  without  sacrifice  of  prin- 
ciple. The  presence  of  his  Gentile  companions  who  went  on  before 
him,  would  have  been  a  hindrance  to  him  on  this  occasion,  when  he, 
no  doubt,  hoped  to  win  some  of  his  brother  Jews  to  Christ  (Calvin). 
■^Practical  Notes,  see  close  of  next  Section. 

Public  Services  at  Troas,  vers.  7-12. 

Yer.  7.  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  Tveek,  "when  "we  ^-ere 
together.  This  was  evidently  no  accidental  coincidence.  We  have 
here  an  unmistakeable  allusion  to  the  practice,  which  began  evidently 
immediately  after  the  resurrection  of  the  Lord,  of  assembling  on  the 
first  day  of  the  week  for  religious  purposes  (see  Excursus  at  the  end  of 
the  chapter). — To  break  bread.  The  Lord's  Supper,  which,  in  these 
early  days,  seems  to  have  been  generally  united  with  the  Acfape  or  love- 
feast.  The  ceremonial  took  place,  a-i  Alford  remarks,  'in  the  evening, 
after  the  day's  work  was  ended;  and  at  the  end  of  the  assembly,  after 
the  preaching  of  the  word.' — Prolonged  his  speech  until  mid- 
night. The  assembly  was  held  at  night;  this  was  the  ordinary  prac- 
tice among  the  early  Christians.  It  seems  that  it  partook  of  the  sim- 
ple evening  meal,  after  which  prayer  and  preaching  followed ;  and 
before  separating  broke  bread,  in  compliance  with  the  Master's  com- 
mand the  evening  before  his  death. 

Ver.  8.  Many  lights  in  the  upper  chamber.  The  details  of 
this  memorable  scene  are  carefully  recorded ;   the  appearance  of  the 


296  ACTS  XX.  [20 :  9,  10. 

many  lights  in  the  upper  chamber,  where  we  were 
9  gathered  together.  And  there  sat  in  the  window  a 
certain  young  man  named  Eutychus,  borne  down  with 
deep  sleep;  and  as  Paul  discoursed  yet  longer,  being 
borne  down  by  his  sleep  he  fell  down  fr^m  the  third 
10  story,  and  was  taken  up  dead.  And  Paul  went  down, 
and  fell  on  him,  and  embracing  him  said.  Make  ye  no 

brilliantly -lighted  chamber ;  the  lateness  of  the  hour ;  the  length  of 
Paul's  sermon.  The  many  lamps  mentioned  had  no  special  signifi- 
cance ;  the  Jews  were  accustomed,  on  their  festal  days,  brilliantly  to 
light  their  rooms  for  any  great  solemnity.  The  fact  is  probably  men- 
tioned to  account  for  the  sleep  of  Eutychus,  which,  no  doubt  after  the 
fatigue  of  the  day,  was  induced  by  the  heat  of  the  crowded,  lit-up 
room.  *It  seems  more  likely  that  the  mention  of  the  lights  is  sim- 
ply the  vivid  touch  of  an  eye-witness.  They  enabled  the  audience  to 
see  Eutychus  distinctly. 

Ver.  y.  There  sat  in  the  window,  etc.  '  The  place  was  an 
upper  room,  with  a  recess  or  balcony  projecting  over  the  street  or 
court.  The  night  was  dark :  three  weeks  had  not  elapsed  since  the 
Passover,  and  the  moon  only  appeared  as  a  faint  crescent  in  the  early 
part  of  the  night.  The  room  was  hot  and  crowded.  Paul,  with  the 
feeling  strongly  impressed  upon  his  mind  that  the  next  day  was  the 
day  of  his  departure,  and  that  souls  might  be  lost  by  delay,  was  con- 
tinuing in  earnest  discourse,  and  prolonging  it  even  till  midnight.  A 
young  listener,  Eutychus,  was  overcome  by  exhaustion,  heat,  and' 
weariness,  and  sank  into  a  deep  slumber.  He  was  seated  or  leaning 
in  the  balcony,  and  falling  down  in  his  sleep,  was  dashed  upon  the 
pavement  below,  and  was  taken  up  dead '  (Conybeare  and  Howsen,  St. 
Paul). — *  Borne  dow^n  with  deep  sleep.  Even  the  preaching  of 
an  Apostle  did  not  keep  all  awake.  Ministers  may  find  encouragement 
in  this  incident  who  have  drowsy  hearers,  but  the  hearers  may  also 
take  warning. 

Ver.  10.  Paul  .  .  .  embracing  him,  said,  etc.  The  example 
of  Elijah  when  be  restored  to  life  the  son  of  the  widow  of  Zarephath 
(1  Kings  17  :  lil),  and  of  Elisha  when  he  raised  from  the  dead  the 
only  child  of  his  kind  Shunammite  hostess  (2  Kings  4 :  34),  is  here 
closely  imitated.  Prof.  Plumptre  strikingly  calls  attention  to  the  un- 
ruffled composure  of  the  Apostle,  sure  of  his  prayer  for  power  to 
restore  life  in  this  instance  being  granted,  contrasted  with  the  hurry 
and  terrified  confusion  of  the  bystanders  :  *  The  whole  scene  is  painted 
vividly  by  an  eye-witness.  We  have  to  think  of  the  cries  of  alarm, 
the  rush  of  men  down  the  staircase  from  the  third  floor  with  lamps 
and  torches  in  their  hands,  the  wail  of  sorro"v«  ....  the  undisturbed 
calmness  of  the  Apostle,  sure  that  his  prayer  was  answered.' — Make 
ye  no  ado,  etc.     These  words  may  be  compared  to  the  words  of 


20:  11-18.]  ACTS  XX.  297 

11  ado;  for  his  life  is  in  him.  And  when  he  was  gone 
up,  and  had  broken  the  bread,  and  eaten,  and  had 
talked  with  them  a  long  while,  even  till  break  of  day, 

12  so  he  departed.  And  they  brought  the  lad  alive,  and 
were  not  a  little  comforted. 

Chapter  20:  13-16. 
Paul  Stops  at  Miletus. 

13  But  we,  going  before  to  the  ship,  set  sail  for  Assos, 

Christ,  when  he  raised  from  the  dead  the  little  daughter  of  Jairus : 
*  Weep  not ;  for  she  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth'  (Luke  8  :  52). 

Ver.  11.  *  The  bread.  The  bread  of  communion.  This  celebra- 
tion of  the  Lord's  Supper  is  narrated  as  though  it  were  a  usual  part 
of  the  services,  and  starts  the  question  whether  many  of  our  churches 
do  not  make  it  too  formal  an  occasion.  Certainly  in  the  early  Church 
the  custom  was  to  partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper  frequently. 

Ver.  12.  They  brought  the  lad  alive.  As  in  the  case  of  the 
daughter  of  Jairus,  when  the  Lord  commanded  that  something  should 
be  given  to  her  to  eat  at  once,  so  here  evidently  some  special  care  was 
given  to  the  young  man  that  the  awful  shock  which  the  system  had 
Buffered  might  be  recovered  from.  Stress  should  be  laid  on  the  word 
'  alive,'  as  standing  with  the  word  '  dead '  in  ver.  9. 

*  Practical  Notes.— A  faithful  Christian  worker  may  expect  to  have  enemies 
(ver.  3).  Satan  is  not  asleep,  because  the  Christian  prays,  nor  does  he  retreat  wlien  the 
Christian  works.  Paul's  preaching  awakened  opposition,  and  his  zeal  and  success 
were  occasions  of  plottings  against  his  life  ;  but  He  who  never  sleeps  can  also  rescue 
us  from  dangers  innumerable — He  who  benefits  others  receives  blessings  in  retura 
There  is  that  scattereth,  and  yet  Increaseth.  Asia  sent  forth  Paul  to  Europe, 
and  Europe  sent  back  to  Asia,  Sopat»  r  of  Bercea,  Aristarchus  of  Thessalonica,  and 
others  with  Paul.— Paul  back  in  Troas.  What  a  change  in  a  few  years  !  There  he 
had  stood  alone,  looking  over  to  Europe  and  hearing  the  call  of  the  man  from  Mace- 
donia, "  Come  over  and  help  us  !  "  (Acts  16  :  9.)  Now  he  returns,  his  arms  full  of 
sheaves,  and  he  finds  a  body  of  believers,  accustomed  to  meet  around  the  Lord's 
table  and  to  listen  to  the  exhortations  of  Christian  ministers. — The  drowsiness  of 
hearers  is  not  always  the  measure  of  the  power  of  the  preacher.  Eutychus  fell 
asleep,  but  no  doubt  many  were  edified  in  the  assembly  at  Troas.  The  sceptic  may 
sneer  at  the  truths  which  comfort  the  saint,  and  the  devotee  of  pleasure  yawn  over 
exhortations  which  arouse  the  devout.  Things  spiritual  are  only  discerned  spirit- 
ually.— How  can  those  be  excused  who  never  sleep  in  church  because  they  never 
enter  it  ?  (Grossner).    Eutychus  never  forgot  that  night,  though  he  did  fall  asleep. 

Paul  Stops  at  Miletus,  vers.  13-16. 
Ver.  13.     We,  going  before  to  the  ship.     Luke  and  the  other 
companions  of  the  Apostle.     Assos  was  only  twenty  miles  distant  by 


298  ACTS  XX.  [20:  14-16. 

there  intending  to  take  in  Paul :    for  so  had  he  ap- 

14  pointed,  intending  himself  to  go  ^by  land.  And  when 
he  met  us  at  Assos,  we  took  him  in,  and  came  to 

15  Mitylene.  And  sailing  from  thence,  we  came  the 
following  day  over  against  Chios ;  and  the  next  day 
we  touched  at  Samos ;  and  ^the  day  after  we  came  to 

16  Miletus.  For  Paul  had  determined  to  sail  past  Ephe- 
sus,  that  he  might  not  have  to  spend  time  in  Asia ; 
for  he  was  hastening,  if  it  were  possible  for  him,  to  be 
at  Jerusalem  the  day  of  Pentecost. 

^  Or,  on  foot, 
2  Many  ancient  authorities  insert  having  tarried  at  TrogylUum. 

road  from  Troas,  but  the  voyage  by  sea  round  Cape  Lectum  was  nearly 
twice  as  far.  Paul  walked  this  distance  in  order,  perhaps,  to  secure  a 
fcAv  more  hours  with  his  disciples  at  Troas,  and  also  a  quiet  time  of 
meditation  as  he  went  alone  by  the  road  to  the  point  where  he  had 
fixed  to  join  the  ship  and  his  friends.  Vast  ruins  still  mark  the  site 
of  the  ancient  city  of  Assos,  and  speak  with  silent  eloquence  of  its 
bygone  importance. 

Ver.  14.  Came  to  Mitylene.  About  thirty  miles  from  Assos, 
and  the  capital  of  the  island  of  Lesbos.  Horace  styles  it  '  fair 
Mitylene'  (Epist.  1:  11-17).  It  was  famed  for  its  beautiful  situation 
and  the  magnificence  of  its  buildings.  It  was  the  birth-place  of 
Sappho,  the  female  poet,  and  the  poet  Alcoeus.  The  modern  city  is 
called  Castro. 

Ver.  15.  Chios.  An  island  off  the  coast  of  Ionia,  celebrated  for 
its  wine.  It  was  the  scene  of  the  massacre  of  the  Greeks  by  the  Turks 
in  1822.  Chios  was  famous,  even  among  these  fairest  regions  of  the 
earth,  for  its  marvellous  beauty. — Samos.  An  island  separated  from 
the  main  land  by  a  narrow  channel. — Miletus.  One  of  the  most 
famous  names  in  ancient  history,  and  older  than  its  rival  Ephesus, 
which  had,  however,  in  Paul's  day,  far  outsti'ipped  it  in  wealth  and 
grandeur.  Homer  writes  of  '  Carian  Miletus.'  It  is  now  a  swamp, 
with  but  few  ruins  to  mark  the  site.  Miletus  lay  thirty  miles  to  the 
south  of  Ephesus.  They  arrived  there  the  fourth  day  after  leaving 
Troas. 

Ver.  IG.  Paul  had  determined  to  sail  past  Ephesus,  etc. 
The  Apostle  and  his  companions  were  but  humble  passengers  on  board 
a  trading  vessel.  He  avoided  revisiting  Ephesus,  lest  the  many  friends 
and  their  pressing  solicitations  should  have  delayed  his  voyage ;  and 
there  was  barely  sufficient  time  before  him  to  reach  .Jerusalem  in  time 
for  the  Pentecost  feast,  so  he  sent  the  message  to  Ephesus  which  we 
road  of  in  the  next  verse. — He  was  hastening,  if  it  'were  pos- 
sible.    He  was  pressed  for  time.     There  were  several  reasons  which 


20:  17,  18.]  ACTS  XX.  299 

Chapter  20:  17-35. 
PauVs  Farewell  Address  to  the  Elders  of  Ephesus. 

17  And  from  Miletus  he  sent  to  Ephesus,  and  called 

18  to  him  the  ^elders  of  the  church.     And  when  they 
were  come  to  him,  he  said  unto  them, 

1  Or,  presbyters. 

prompted  him  to  be  present  at  Jerusalem  at  Pentecost.  He  knew  such 
a  mark  of  respect  for  the  Hebrew  custom  would  be  pleasing  to  the 
Jewish  Christians.  He  was  also  especially  desirous  to  present  the  gifts 
of  the  Gentile  churches  in  presence  of  the  vast  concourse  of  foreign 
Jews  at  the  great  Pentecostal  feast,  and  thus  spread  abroad  in  all  lands 
the  great  fact  that  the  Gentile  Christians  were  one  with  their  Jewish 
brethren,  and  refused  to  separate  themselves  from  them. 

PauVs  Farewell  Address  to  the  Elders  of  Ephems,  vers.  17-35. 

Yer.  17.  He  sent  to  Fphesus,  and  called  to  him  the 
elders  of  the  church.  The  elders  or  presbyters  probably  repre- 
sented several  congregations  of  Ephesus  and  its  neighborhood.  [But 
the  use  of  the  singular,  'the  church,'  is  rather  against  this  view  that 
cbngregations  from  the  neighborhood  of  Ephesus  were  represented 
(Meyer).]  In  ver.  28,  they  are  spoken  of  as  cjnxccpoi,  bishops  or  over- 
seers. It  is  quite  clear  that  in  the  lifetime  of  Paul,  the  names  cpiscopos, 
presbuteros,  bishop  and  presbyter  (or  elder),  were  applied  inditferently 
to  the  same  person.  This  is  evident  from  the  language  of  Paul's  pastoral 
Epistles.  No  necessity  had  yet  arisen  in  the  constitution  of  the  Church 
for  the  appointment  of  a  special  order  of  superintending  presbyters  or 
bishops.  While  Peter,  Paul,  and  John,  and  the  majority  of  the  Apostolic 
body  were  still  living,  they  filled  the  place  of  general  superintendents 
of  the  churches.  But,  though  this  fact  is  indisputable,  there  can  hardly 
be  any  doubt  but  that  the  episcopal  office,  as  we  understand  it,  was 
constituted  before  the  close  of  the  first  century,  for  very  early  in  the  second 
century  we  find  this  higher  order  widely  established.  Eothe  concludes 
that  the  Episcopate  was  established  shortly  after  the  death  of  Peter, 
Paul,  and  James,  who  all  sufiFered  martyrdom  shortly  before  the  fall  of 
.lerusalem.  The  pillars  of  the  Church  being  thus  removed  by  death, 
and  Jerusalem  the  visible  centre  of  the  Church  destroyed,  there  was 
an  urgent  need  for  some  organization  which  should  cement  together  the 
diverse  elements  of  Christian  society  and  preserve  it  from  disintegra- 
tion. On  the  general  question  of  the  office  of  elder  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, see  Excursus  ch.  15. 

Ver.  18.  He  said  unto  them.  In  this  short  epitome  of  the 
discourse  of  the  Apostle  bidding  farewell  to  the  elders  of  Ephesus,  we 
have  perhaps  the  most  interesting  of  all  sermons  and  addresses  reported 
in  the  Acts.    It  deals  with  broad  and  general  questions  connected  with 


300  ACTS  XX.  [20:  19,23. 

Ye  yourselves  know,  from  the  first  day  that  I  set 
foot  in  Asia,  after  what  manner  I  was  with  you  all  the 

19  time,  serving  the  Lord  with  all  lowliness  of  mind,  and 
with  tears,  and  with  trials  which   befell  me  by  the 

20  plots  of  the  Jews :  how  that  I  shrank  not  from  de- 

the  duties  of  a  pastor  to  his  flock  not  only  in  that  age  of  Paul's,  but  in 
all  times  and  among  all  peoples.  The  references  to  Paul's  own  history 
are  few,  and  just  enough  to  give  a  living  personal  interest  to  the  ex- 
hortation ;  but  they  are  quickly  dismissed,  and  the  words  might  have 
been  addressed  by  a  Christian  minister  to  his  people  in  our  own  days. 
The  address  falls  easily  into  three  divisions: — (1)  The  Apostle  treats 
very  briefly  of  his  former  connection  with  the  Ephesian  community ; 
to  this  he  just  adds  a  few  words  explanatory  of  his  present  hurried 
journey  (vers.  18-24).  (2)  He  gives  very  earnest  warnings  to  his  old 
flock,  together  with  grave  forebodings  of  their  future  perils  (vers.  25-31). 
(3)  He  dwells  on  his  own  self-sacrificing  labors  among  them,  and  urges 
the  elders  to  be  faithful  in  following  his  example  (vers.  32-35). 

Ver.  18.  Ye  yourselves  know,  etc.  The  words  of  Samuel  to 
the  people  of  Israel  after  the  election  of  King  Saul  present  a  striking 
parallel  to  this  farewell  speech  of  Paul  (1  Sam.  12:  2-5).  *  Joshua's 
farewell  address  may  also  be  compared  with  profit  (Josh.  23;  24). 
Happy,  says  Bengel,  is  he  who  can  thus  begin  his  address  by  appeal- 
ing to  the  conscience  and  recollections  of  his  hearers. 

Ver.  19.  Serving  the  Lord  .  .  .  with  tears.  Three  times  in 
this  short  report  of  Paul' s  farewell  words  are  '  tears '  referred  to : 
tears  of  suffering  and  pain  (ver.  19),  of  pastoral  solicitude  (ver.  31), 
and  of  natural  affection  (ver.  37).  See  2  Cor.  2:4;  Phil.  3:  18;  2 
Tim.  1:4;  and  also  Acts  21 :  13.  The  intense  sympathy  and  love 
among  the  early  Christians  is  most  noteworthy.  It  was  something 
strange  in  the  old  selfish  world,  and  this  sweet  spirit  which  seemed 
after  the  crucifixion  to  have  taken  up  its  abode  in  the  hearts  of  men 
and  women,  was  no  doubt  one  of  the  most  powerful  agents  in  the  rapid 
spread  of  the  new  doctrines.  The  revelation  that  God  could  so  care 
for  men  as  to  toeep  (John  1 1 :  33-35)  for  them,  taught  men  the  beauty 
of  mutual  sympathy.  Paul's  intense  solicitude  for  'souls  that  will 
not  be  i-edeemed '  has  been  imitated  and  deeply  felt  by  many  a  noble 
heart  in  the  history  of  Christianity.  This  was  not  so  in  the  Pagan 
world.  Its  philosophers  condemned  outward  manifestations  of  feeling. 
— The  plots  of  the  Jews.  There  is  no  special  mention  of  a  plot 
against  the  life  of  the  Apostle  during  the  Ephesian  residence ;  their 
hostility  is,  however,  alluded  to  in  Acts  19  :  9.  No  doubt  at  Ephesus, 
a?  at  Damascus,  Corinth,  Thessalonica,  Antioch  in  Pisidia,  and  .Jeru- 
salem (23:  12),  the  same  sleepless,  relentless  hostility  on  the  part  of 
a  section  of  his  countrymen  marred  and  hindered  his  work. 

Ver.  20.  Teaching  you  publicly.  Three  months,  we  read, 
he  taught  openly  in  the  synagogue,  and  two  years  in  the  school  ^no 


20:  21-24.]  ACTS  XX.  301 

daring  unto  you  anything  that  was  profitable,  and 

21  teaching  you  publicly,  and  from  house  to  house,  testi- 
fying both  to  Jews  and  to  Greeks  repentance  toward 

22  God,  and  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  ^  Christ.  And 
now,  behold,  I  go  bound  in  the  spirit  unto  Jeru- 
salem,  not  knowing  the  things  that  shall  befall  me 

23  there :  save  that  the  Holy  Ghost  testifieth  unto  me  in 
every  city,  saying  that  bonds  and  afflictions  abide  me. 

24  But  I  hold  not  my  life  of  any  account,  as  dear  unto 

1  Many  ancient  authorities  omit  Christ. 

doubt  a  well-known  lecture  hall)  of  Tyrannus. — '^From  house  to 
house.  This  remark  proves  how  indefatigable  Paul  was.  Smaller 
meetings  at  private  homes  are  referred  to,  as  pei'haps  at  Aquila's  (1 
Cor.  16  :  19).  Such  meetings  at  private  houses  for  prayer  and  exhorta- 
tion were  common,  and  we  recall  not  only  the  upper  chamber  at  Jerusa- 
lem, but  the  house  of  Mary  in  that  city  ^  Acts  12 :  12).  We  may  regard 
this  practice  as  the  warrant  and  pattern  of  cottage  prayer-meetings. 

Ver.  21.  Repentance  toward  God,  and  faith,  etc.  These 
two  make  up  the  sum  of  Christian  duty.  The  one  cannot  be  separated 
from  the  other.  True  faith  cannot  exist  without  the  penitent  heart. 
Again,  repentance  without  faith  in  Christ  is  without  comfort  or  hope, 
and  ends  in  foint-heartedness  and  despair. 

Ver.  22.  I  go  bound  in  the  spirit  unto  Jerusalem.  Some 
commentators  have  understood  these  words  as  though  Paul  was  con- 
strained by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  journey  to  Jerusalem  ;  in  other  words, 
*  Was  going  to  Jerusalem  on  the  impulse  of  the  Holy  Spirit.'  It  is 
better,  however,  to  refer  them  to  Paul's  own  spirit;  for  in  the  follow- 
ing verse  we  have  the  divine  Spirit  distinguished  by  the  epithet  hob/. 
The  meaning  without  doubt  is :  '  Urged  by  an  intense  sense  of  duty, 
Paul  was  going  up  to  the  Holy  City.'  He  was  so  persuaded  that  this 
was  right,  that  no  prospect  of  danger  deterred  him,  no  affectionate 
entreaties  moved  him  from,  his  purpose. — *Not  knowing  the 
things.  Bengel  well  says :  '  AVe  must  not  look  upon  the  Apostles 
as  omniscient.  They  were  dependent  upon  the  divine  leading  and 
through  faith,'  which  believes  but  does  not  see. 

Ver.  23.  *Save  that  the  Holy  Ghost  testifieth  unto  me 
in  eveiy  city.  These  warnings  seem  to  refer  to  something  more 
than  an  inward  revelation.  The  fact  that  it  is  mentioned  that  they 
came  to  him  in  every  city,  seems  to  point  to  prophetic  voices  (comp. 
13:  2;  21:  4).  However,  the  meaning  may  be  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
inspired  this  general  conviction  in  his  mind  by  the  persecutions  he 
was  called  upon  to  endure  in  Philippi.  Thcssalonica,  and  other  cities. 

Ver.  24.  ^I  hold  not  my  life  of  any  account,  etc.  This  re- 
calls Luther  s  words  as  he  approached  the  city  of  Worms  to  attend  the 


302  ACTS  XX.  [20:  25-27. 

myself,  ^so  that  I  may  accomplish  my  course,  and  the 
ministry  which  I  received  from  the  Lord  Jesus,  to 

25  testify  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God.  And  now,  be- 
hold, I  know  that  ye  all,  among  whom  I  went  about 
preaching  the  kingdom,  shall  see  my  face  no  more. 

26  Wherefore  I  testify  unto  you  this  day,  that  I  am  pure 

27  from  the  blood  of  all  men.     For  I  shrank  not  from  de- 

1  Or,  in  comparison  of  accomplishing  my  course. 

famous  diet :  *  Though  there  were  as  many  devils  in  Worms  as  there 
are  tiles  on  the  roofs  of  the  houses,  I  yet  would  on.'  This  spirit  of 
intense  devotion  to  Christ  and  forgetfulness  of  his  own  comfort  has 
excited  the  admiration  of  the  world  for  Paul.  '  I  take  pleasure  in 
weaknesses,  in  injuries,  in  necessities,  in  persecutions,  in  distresses, 
for  Christ's  sake'  (2  Cor.  12:  10).  To  live,  for  Paul,  was  Christ,  and 
to  die  was  gain  (Phil.  1:  21).  'I  his  feeling  of  his  heart  finds  magnifi- 
cent expression  in  Phil.  3:  7-15. — So  that  I  may  accomplish 
my  course.  The  same  words  and  the  same  thought  re-occur  in  the 
Second  Epistle  to  Timothy,  only  there  the  goal  was  in  sight,  and  Paul 
wrote:  'I  have  finished  the  course'  (2  Tim.  4:  7).  An  interesting 
thought  has  been  suggested  by  vers.  22-24.  It,  however,  is  oidy  a 
supposition.  Paul  has  been  speaking  with  a  sad  presentiment  of  the 
things  which  shall  befall  him  ;  prophets  enlightened  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
tell  him  that  bonds  and  afflictions  await  him  ;  he  himself  attaches  no 
value  to  his  life,  and  knows  that  the  congregation  which  he  has  founded 
shall  see  him  no  more.  It  seems  as  though  God  had  determined  that 
Paul  should  die  in  Jerusalem  as  a  martyr,  but  that  God  had  graciously 
looked  at  the  tears  and  intercessions  in  his  behalf  on  the  part  of  the 
Gentile  congregations,  and  allowed  him  to  be  rescued  by  the  Romans 
with  a  view  to  several  years  more  of  life  and  ministry. 

Ver.  25.  Ye  all  .  .  .  shall  see  my  face  no  more.  This  is 
Paul's  private  conviction.  But  it  is  almost  certain  that  after  his  libera- 
tion from  the  Roman  imprisonment  (Acts  28),  he  did  revisit  the  Asian 
churches  (see  the  notices  and  greetings  in  2  Tim.  4  and  Tit.  1 :  5,  espe- 
cially the  words :  '  Trophimus  1  left  at  Miletus  sick,'  2  Tim.  4 :  20). 
Even  an  Apostle  was  not  gifted  at  all  times  with  unerring  know- 
ledge. 

Ver.  26.  I  am  pure  from  the  blood  of  all  men.  The  thought 
and  language  were  derived  from  the  words  of  Ezekiel  3:  18.  He,  Paul, 
was  innocent  of  all  neglect.  His  ceaseless,  self-denying  labors  at 
Ephesus  would  at  least  free  him  from  blood-guiltiness. 

Ver.  27.  Declaring  unto  you  the  whole  counsel  of  God. 
His  plan  of  redemption  and  grace.  It  has  been  suggested  with  con- 
siderable probability  that  these  words  point  to  a  greater  degree  of  re- 
ceptivity for  divine  truth  at  Ephesus  than  elsewhere.     He  speaks  to 


20:  28.]  ACTS  XX.  303 

28  daring  unto  you  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  Take 
heed  unto  yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock,  in  the  which 
the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  ^bishops,  to  feed  the 
church  of  ^ God,*  which  he  ^purchased  with  his  own 

1  Or,  overseers. 

2  Many  ancient  authorities  read  the  Lord.  ^  Gr.  acquired. 

•  For  "God"  read  "the  Lord"  (with  marg.  Some  ancient  authorities,  including  the 

two  oldest  MSS.,  read  God). — Am.  Com. 

them  as  able  to  understand  his  knowledge  in  the  mystery  of  Christ, 
and  the  brotherhood  of  mankind  in  the  common  Fatherhood  of  God. 

Ver.  28.     "^'Take  heed   unto  yourselves.     Both  in  matters  of 
private  conduct  and  pastoral  oversight.     For  a  closer  definition  of  the 
life  of  a  'bishop,'  see  1  Tim.  3  :  2-4.— The  Holy  Ghost  hath  made 
you  bishops.     '  So  be  watchful,'   Paul  went  on  to  say.     '  My  part 
is  done.     For  the  future  the  responsibility  of  guiding  the  flock  will  be 
yours — yours  the  care  of  providing  that  it  be  kept  from  error ;  and 
first  I  press  home  to  you  to  take  heed  to  your  own  lives,  to  the  exam- 
ple you  set,  to  the  influence   you  exert.'     *The  word   bishop  means 
here  as  much  as  overseer  (see  margin)   or  superintendent.     So  in  1 
Pet.  2:  25  Christ  is  called   the   'Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  our  souls.' 
Peter,  in  a  similar  exhortation  calling  upon  the  elders  to  'tend  the 
flock  of  God,'  urges  them  to  'exercise  the  oversight,'  etc.;  the  expres- 
sion literally  translated  being  bishopric  or  bishop's  ofl&ce  (1  Pet.  5:  2), 
The  Holy  Ghost — as  in  Acts  13:  2,  when  the  same  Holy  Spirit  directed 
the  prophets  and  teachers  of  Antioch  to  choose  Barnabas  and  Saul  for 
the  mission-work  in  Gentile  countries — had  probably  guided  Paul  in 
the  first  instance  in  his  selection  of  these  pastors.     In  this  reference 
to  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  the  inward   call  also  is  referred  to, 
which  first  drew  the  man  to  the  holy  office  of  an  elder  in  the  Church, 
— To  feed  the  church  of  God,  which  he  purchased  -with 
his   own   blood.     For  '  the  Church  of  God,'   some  MSS.  of  great 
weight  read  '  the  Church  of  the  Lord.'     The  words  of  Dr.  Scrivener 
on  this  point  are  most  weighty.     'The  reading  of  the  received  text,' 
he  says,  'though  diflFerent  from  that  of  the  majority  of  copies,  is  pretty 
sure  to  be  correct.     It  is  upheld  by  the  Sinaitic  and  Vatican  MSS.,  and 
by  the  Vulgate.     Patristic  testimony  also  slightly  inclines  to  the  same 
reading,    "the    Church   of  God."     Foremost   among  these  come  the 
words  of  Ignatius  (a.d.  107),  who  speaks  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Ephe- 
sians,  chap.  1,  of  the  "  blood  of  God."  '     The  same  Ignatius  {Epistle  to 
Romans.,  G)  also  uses  the  expression:  'the  Passion  of  my  God.'     In 
Clement  of  Alexandria,  too,  we  have  the  very  phrase  :   '  Blood  of  God.' 
*The  above  statement  perhaps  needs  some  supplement.  The  manuscript 
testimony  may  be  said  to  be  about  equal  for  both  readings.     The  in- 
ternal testimony  rather  ftivors  the  reading  God.     No  other  writ  r  of 
the  N.  T.  but  Paul  uses  this  expression,  Church  of  God.     Outside  of 


304  ACTS  XX.  [20 !  29. 

29  blood.      I    know    that   after    my  departing  grievous 
wolves  sliall  enter  in  among  you,  not  sparing  the  flock ; 

this  place  he  uses  it  eight  times  (1  Cor.  1:2;  10:  32 ;  11 :  22 ;  15:  9; 
2  Cor.  1:1;  Gal.  1 :  13  ;  1  Tim,  3 :  5,  15),  and  the  expression  churches 
of  God,  three  times  (1  Cor.  11:  IG ;  1  Thess.  2:  14;  2  Thess.  1:  4). 
The  expressions  Cliurch  of  the  Lord  and  Church  of  Christ  never  occur 
in  his  Epistles,  and  churches  of  Christ  only  once  (Rom.  16:  16).  The 
expression  Church  of  God  is  then  the  usual  one  with  Paul.  It  would 
naturally  occur  to  him  in  the  extempore  address  to  the  elders  of  Ephe- 
sus,  especially  when  we  recall  his  well-known  preference  for  particular 
words  and  phrases.  The  objection  against  the  reading  Church  of  God 
is  the  clause  which  follows  and  which  attributes  to  God  suffering  and 
death.  The  passage  thus  becomes  a  strong  proof-text  for  the  divinity 
of  Christ.  Those  who  reject  this  reading  and  prefer  the  reading 
Church  of  the  Lord,  urge  that  in  no  other  case  in  the  N.  T.  is  an  ex- 
pression like  this  used,  ascribing  to  God  suffering  and  death.  Meyer 
and  others  therefore  hold  that  the  original  reading  was  Church  of  the 
Lord,  which  copyists  early  displaced  Ijy  the  expression  Church  of  God, 
the  usual  one  in  the  NT.  The  frequent  use  of  the  words  Church  of 
God  explains  how  the  change  took  place  in  the  manuscripts.  The 
distinguished  textual  critics,  Lachmann,  Tischendorf,  Prof.  Abbot  and 
others  adopt  the  reading  Church  of  the  Lord.  Westcott  and  Hort  pre- 
serve Cliurch  of  God,  which  the  Revisers  were  right  in  retaining  in  the 
text. — *  Purchased  with  his  own  blood.  The  flock  (or  Church) 
therefore,  says  Bengel,  is  most  precious.  The  whole  expression  is  a 
striking  proof  of  the  divinity  of  Christ,  and  places  the  efficacy  of  the 
atonement  principally  in  the  shedding  of  his  blood  on  the  cross  (Eph. 
1:  7).  The  expression /»yrc7m^e(f  does  not  imply  that  a  person  (the 
devil)  has  a  right  to  the  sinner,  but  only  to  what  the  purchase  cost  the 
Redeemer — sacrifice  and  sulfei'ing. 

Ver.  29.  Grievous  wclves  shall  enter  in  among  you,  etc. 
'  First  came  Paul,  then  follow  the  wolves '  (Bengel).  Two  distinct 
classes  of  teachers  who  should  arise  after  his  departure  are  alluded 
to — the  '  grievous  wolves '  who  would  come  to  Ephesus  from  other 
cities,  and  the  '  speakers  of  perverse  things '  who  would  arise  from 
within  (ver.  30).  The  Apostle  foresaw  that  his  bitterest  enemies 
would  be  the  Judaizing  teachers  who  came  from  a  distance.  The  sad 
words  of  Paul  in  the  last  Epistle  of  his  life,  some  six  years  after  these 
words  were  spoken,  show  how  mournfully  this  prediction  was  verified : 
*  This  thou  knowest.  that  all  that  are  in  Asia  turned  au-ay  from  me ' 
(2  Tim.  1:  15).  *  Sowers  of  error  and  teachers  of  heresy  were  de- 
nominated by  very  strong  figurative  terms  by  the  Apostles  and  early 
Christian  Fathers.  Paul  on  another  occasion  compares  them  to  '  dogs' 
(Phil.  3  :  4) :  Ignatius  likened  them  to  poisonous  plants  ;  Theophilus 
to  barren  rocks  on  which  ships  are  wrecked  ;  Origen  to  false  lights  on 
dangerous  cliffs,  alluring  mariners  to  destruction. 


20:  30-32.]  ACTS  XX.  305 

30  and   from  among   your  own  selves  shall  men  arise, 
speaking  perverse  things,  to  draw  away  the  disciples 

31  after  them.     AVherefore  watch  ye,  remembering  that 
by  the  space  of  three  years  I  ceased  not  to  admonish 

32  every  one  night  and  day  w  ith  tears.     And  now  I  com- 
mend you  to  ^God,  and  to  the  word  of  his  grace,  which 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  read  the  Lord. 

Ver.  30.  Speaking  perverse  things,  to  draw  away  the 
disciples  after  them.  The  church  of  Ephesus  singularly  enough 
became  notoi'ious  in  after  days  as  a  seat  of  the  great  Gnostic  heresy. 
Even  in  the  N.  T.  writings,  no  fewer  than  six  of  the  pioneers  of  these 
fatal  teachers  are  mentioned  as  belonging  to  Ephesus,  Hymenreus  and 
Alexander  (1  Tim.  1 :  20),  Phygelus  and  Hermogenes  (2  Tim.  1 :  15), 
and  Philetus  (2:  17).  These  Epistles  were  written  in  a.  d.  65-66. 
In  the  Third  Epistle  of  John  (ver.  9),  who  lived  at  Ephesus,  we  read 
of  another,  Diotrephes.  In  the  Apocalypse,  written  a.  d.  80-90  [or 
earlier],  in  the  Epistle  addressed  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  this 
same  city  of  Ephesus,  it  is  said  that  there  were  among  them  those  who 
held  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes  (chap.  2:  6).  Church  history 
(Eusebius,  H.  E.  iv.  14j  recounts,  too,  how  the  Apostle  John  met  with 
the  heresiarch  Cerinthus  during  his  residence  at  Ephesus.  'Ephesus,' 
observes  Creuzer,  'was  above  all  others  the  place  where  Oriental  views 
were  in  various  ways  combined  with  the  mythology  and  philosophy  of 
Greece;  in  truth,  this  city  was  a  complete  storehouse  of  magical  arts 
and  deceptions'  (Acts  19:  19  and  35). 

Yer.  32.  I  commend  you  to  God,  and  to  the  word  of  his 
grace.  Most  commentators  under.-tand  by  the  'word  of  His  grace' 
not  the  personal  Word,  the  Logon  (John  1  :  1),  but  the  doctrine  of  God, 
and  suppose  that  these  words  are  parenthetically  introduced,  thus:  'I 
commend  you  to  God'  (and  the  word  of  His  grace,  that  is,  the  doctrine 
contained  in  His  word),  'to  God  who  is  able,'  etc.  Such  an  interpre- 
tation seems  in  a  high  degree  unsatisfactory  and  strained.  It  is  better 
to  adopt  the  obvious  meaning  :  '  I  commend  you  to  God  and  to  the  Word 
of  His  grace,'  the  Word  being  the  second  Person  of  the  Trinity.  *But 
it  is  justly  urged  against  this  interpretation  that  John  is  the  only  one 
of  the  N.  T.  writers  who  uses  the  Word  as  a  designation  of  Christ. 
Bengel,  no  doubt,  gives  the  exact  meaning  where  he  calls  the  expres- 
sion a  'description  of  the  Gospel.' — "Which  is  able  to  build  you 
up.  We  cannot  pass  over  the  word  '  build '  without  noting  the 
occurrence  of  the  same  thought  and  word  in  Eph.  2 :  20,  21 ;  4 :  12, 
16,  29.  'The  figu)-e  was  a  natural  one  anywhere'  (comp.  1  Cor.  3: 
10),  'but  it  would  gain  additional  vividness  from  the  stately  architec- 
ture of  Ephesus'  (Plumptre).  — The  inheritance  among  all  them 
that  are  sanctified.  The  inheritance  is  glorious,  because  it  consists 
20 


S03  ACTS  XX.  [20:  33-35. 

is  able  to  build  you  up,  and  to  give  you  the  inherit- 

33  ance  among  all  them  that  are  sanctified.    I  coveted  no 

34  man's  silver,  or  gold,  or  apparel.    Ye  yourselves  know 
that  these  hands  ministered   unto  my  necessities,  and 

35  to  them  that  were  with  me.     In  all  things  I  gave  you 
an  example,  how  that  so  labouring  ye  ought  to  help 

in  'communion  with  God,'  and  also  in  a  'blessed  communion  with  all 
God's  saints.'  The  same  beautiful  thought  almost  in  these  very  words 
occui's  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians, '  fhatyemay  know  what  is  the  hope 
of  his  calling,  what  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his  inheritance  in  the 
saints'  (1  :  18;  See  Eph.  1:  U;  5:  5).  It  is  the  thought  of  the  vast 
throng  of  the  redeemed,  that  'multitude  whom  no  man  can  number'- 
(Rev.  7:  9),  which  constitutes  one  great  feature  in  the  glory  of  the 
inheritance,  and  which  increases  unspeakably  the  blessedness  of  the 
■world  to  come. 

Ver.  33.  I  coveted  no  man's  silver,  or  gold,  or  apparel. 
In  other  words,  '  I  have  sought  not  yours,  but  you.'  How  earnestly 
Paul  strove  against  even  the  very  shadow  of  appearance  of  evil  in  this 
matter,  we  have  constant  and  ample  testimony.  Rather  than  even 
receive  gifts  which  would  supply  him  with  the  necessaries  of  life,  he 
worked  for  himself  untiringly  at  his  trade  (1  Cor.  4:  11,  12;  Acts  18: 
3).  Some  years  later  he  warns  Timothy  of  the  evils  of  covetousness. 
The  love  of  money  was  the  root  of  all  evil.  '  But  thou,  0  man  of  God,' 
he  says,  '  flee  these  things.'  '  Apparel'  is  here  added  to  gold  and  silver, 
because  in  all  times  it  has  formed  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  possessions 
of  an  opulent  Oriental  household,  hence  the  allusion  in  Matt.  6:  19  to 
the  power  not  only  of  rust,  but  of  the  moth  (see  Jas.  5:  2).  The 
Ephesians,  we  read,  were  celebrated  for  their  luxurious  apparel 
(Athenseus,  quoted  by  Gloag). 

Ver.  35.  I  gave  you  an  example.  Not  only  have  I  told  you 
in  words  what  is  the  duty  of  a  Christ-loving  man,  but  I  tried  to 
live  the  life  before  you  which  I  told  you  of. — Ye  ought  to  help  the 
■weak.  Not  the  'weak  in  faith,'  but  the  physically  sick,  the  feel)le, 
the  poor.  It  is  a  beautiful  reminder  not  only  to  these  elders  of  Ephe- 
sus,  but  to  all  who  love  the  Lord,  to  exercise  self-denial  in  various 
■ways,  that  they  may  possess  means  wherewith  to  help  those  poorer, 
■weaker,  more  helpless  than  themselves  (Eph.  4:  28). — It  is  more 
blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.  Paul  quoted  these  words  as 
evidently  well  known,  and  quite  familiar  to  his  listeners,  yet  they  are 
not  found  in  the  four  Gospels.  Although  they  enforce  with  solemn 
distinctness  the  duty  of  liberality  to  the  poor,  they  possess  a  far  deeper 
meaning,  for  they  assert  as  an  eternal  truth,  the  higher  blessedness  of 
giving  as  compared  with  receiving.  Perhaps  the  full  truth  of  this 
saying  of  our  Lord  in  all  its  length  and  breadth,  and  depth  and  height, 
will  never  be  grasped  by  any  but  the  redeemed,  and  not  by  them  till 


20:  36-38.]  ACTS  XX.  307 

the  weak,  and  to  remember  the  words  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  how  he  himself  said,  It  is  more  blessed  to  give 
than  to  receive. 

Chapter  20 :  36-38. 

The  Prayer  and  the  Farewell. 

36  And  when  he  had  thus  spoken,  he  kneeled  down, 

37  and  prayed  with  them  all.     And  they  all  wept  sore, 

38  and  fell  on  PauFs  neck,  and  kissed  him,   sorrowing 

they  enter  the  city  of  the  Lamb.  Do  they  not  foreshadow  in  some  way 
the  occupation  of  the  blessed  in  heaven?  Will  they  not  all  then  be 
ministering  spirits? 

*  Practical  Notes,  see  close  of  chapter. 
The  Prayer  and  the  Farewell,  vers.  36-38. 

Ver.  36.  He  kneeled  down.  The  early  Christians  were  in  the 
habit  of  kneeling  in  prayer  on  ordinary  occasions,  but  considered  stand- 
ing in  prayer  the  posture  most  fitting  for  praise  and  thanksgiving;  so 
usually  on  the  first  day  of  the  week — the  Lord's  day — they  prayed 
'standing.' — Prayed  with  them  all.  Prof.  Plumptre  writes  'that 
the  historian,  who  has  recorded  what  we  may  call  this  charge  of  Paul, 
shrinks  with  a  natural  reverence  from  reporting  his  prayer.  Eph.  3 : 
14-21  will  enable  the  thoughtful  reader  to  represent  to  himself  its 
substance,  perhaps  even  its  very  thoughts  and  words.' 

Ver.  37.  Fell  on  Paul's  neck,  and  kissed  him.  These 
demonstrative  expressions  of  affection  are  in  accordance  with  Eastern 
customs  (see  Gen,  45:  14;  46:  29).  The  word  is  a  strong  one,  and 
might  be  rendered,  'kept  tenderly  kissing  him.'  The  same  word  is 
used  of  the  traitor  Judas'  kiss  in  Gethsemane.  ^  In  the  early  Church 
the  kiss  was  a  mark  of  Christian  brotherhood,  and  the  '  holy '  kiss  is 
frequently  referred  to  by  Paul  (Rom.  16 :  16;  1  Cor.  16:  20,  etc.),  and 
the  'kiss  of  love'  by  Peter  (1  Pet.  5:  14).  Some  sects,  as  the  Tunkers, 
still  retain  it. 

Ver.  y8.  Behold  his  face  no  more.  In  this  both  Paul  and  the 
elders  of  Ephesus,  were  no  doubt  wrong.  Paul  most  probably  did  re- 
visit Ephesus,  after  his  liberation  from  the  Ptoman  imprisonment.  See 
note  on  ver,  25. 

*  Practical  Notes. — The  Bible  seems  to  furnish  a  theme  for  every  occHsionof  life. 
Paul's  farewell  address  to  the  elders  of  Epliesus  is  a  model  for  a  farewell  discourse  at 
the  close  of  a  pastorate.— The  Gospel  draws  men  near  to  God,  but  also  draws  men 
very  close  tp  one  another.  The  one  bond  of  a  common  faith  and  hope  ought  to  make 
Christians  very  loving  towards  one  another.  The  scene  of  Christ  dying  on  the  cross 
portrays  the  love  of  God's  heart  for  sinners  as  no  words  could  do  it,  and  the  scene  at 
Miletus  proves,  as  no  mere  verbal  argument  could  do,  that  the  (Jospel  teaches  men 


ACTS  XX.  [20:  38. 


most  of  all  for  the  word  which  he  had  spoken,  that 
they  should  behold  his  face  do  more.  And  they 
brought  him  on  his  way  unto  the  ship. 

♦  to  love  one  another.' — Paul's  valedictory  was  affecting,  because  his  labors  had  been 
abundant.  Happy  is  he  who,  like  Paul,  can  appeal  to  those  amongst  whom  he  has 
lived  and  labored,  for  proof  of  his  sincerity  of  purpose  and  faithfulness  of  effort.— The 
devoted  Christian  worker  works  [1]  at  all  times  (ver.  15),  [2]  amidst  all  difficulties 
(ver.  29).  Dangers  do  not  deter  him,  and  temptations  do  not  allure  liim  away,  for  he 
considers  the  results  of  his  work  of  far  greater  importance  than  personal  pleasure 
and  ease.  [3]  He  does  not  confine  himself  to  the  mere  routine  of  the  usual  stated 
services.  Men  can  often  be  approached  best  in  the  private  house.  'House  to 
house'  effort  may  accomplish  as  much  as  public  preaching  (ver.  20.  Paul  'studied  the 
case  of  each  individual  and  went  to  each  with  words  in  season.'  [4]  He  shrinks  not 
from  declaring  all  things  that  may  be  profitable  to  his  hearers  (ver.  27).  The  Scripture 
is  not  only  profitable  for  instruction  but  for  proof  and  correction.  The  erring  must 
not  only  be  reclaimed,  but  the  indifferent  warned,  and  the  ungodly  threatened.    The 

•  whole  counsel  of  God,'  includes,  punishment  as  well  as  salvation,  condemnation  as 
well  as  pardon — True  religion  consists  mainly  of  repentance  and  faith  (ver.  21).  By 
the  one  we  renounce  the  works  of  the  flesh  and  the  devil,  and  seek  to  lead  holy  lives  of 
obedience  to  God.  By  the  other  we  place  all  our  trust  in  Jesus  Christ  as  the  author 
of  our  salvation  and  the  One  who  alone  can  lift  us  up  into  God's  favor  and  God's 
throne.  It  was  repentance  and  remission  of  i-ins  whicli  the  disciples  were  sent  out 
from  Jerusalem  to  preach  (Luke  24:  47) — The  Christian  life  is  a  race  (ver.  24).  It 
may  not  be  run  without  sacrifice  and  weariness,  but  let  us  '  finish  it  with  joy '  at  all 
hazards  and  all  sacrifice.  Then  the  past  shall  be  forgotten  with  all  its  sufferings,  in 
gladness  for  having  been  obedient  to  the  Lord's  will,  and  in  bright  anticipation  of  the 
prize  of  the  high  calling  in  Christ  Jesus.— Giving  is  more  blessed  than  receiving 
(ver.  35),  for  it  delivers  us  from  the  bondage  of  selfishness,  unites  us  with  the  brethren, 
and  brings  us  nearer  God,  for  we  shall  thus  resemble  Him  (I.ange).  The  great  Giver  is 
God.— Believers  should  commend  their  friends  at  critical  times  to  the  fostering  care  of 
God.  This  last  solemn  meeting  with  Paul,  and  his  fervent  prayer  was  a  reminiscence 
which  would  never  cease  to  comfort  and  purify  the  hearts  of  the  Ephesian  elders.  A 
father's  prayer  commending  his  son  to  God  at  the  threshold  of  college  or  a  business 
career,  may  prove  a  source  of  incalculable  spiritual  power  for  his  whole  life  (Dr.  Wm. 
M.  TaylorX— We  may  appropriately  c:ose  this  affecting  scene  at  Miletus  with  the 
words  of  I^Iatthew  Henry,  'Though  Paul  and  the  elders  of  Ephesus  parted,  this  was 
a  comfort  to  both  sides  that  the  presence  of  Christ  went  with  him  and  stayed  with 
them.'  (See  Gen.  31 :  49.) 

Excursus  on  the  Observance  of  the  First  Day  of  the  Week  by  the  Early 
Christians.— Neander  well  remarks :  '  Since  the  sufferings  of  Christ  appeared  as  the 
central  point  of  all  religious  experience  and  life,  since  his  resurrection  was  consideied 
as  the  foundation  of  all  Christian  joy  and  hope,  it  was  natural  that  the  communion  of 
the  auirch  should  have  specially  distinguished  the  day  with  which  the  memory  of  tliat 
event  had  connected  itself.'  Let  us  with  great  brevity  trace  the  history  of  the  sacred 
Christian  day.  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  our  Lord  rose  from  the  dead,  and  appeared 
on  fiv«  different  occasions  to  his  followers— to  Mary  Magdalene,  to  the  two  other 


20:  38.]  ACTS  XX.  309 

women,  to  the  two  disciplea  on  their  road  to  Emmans,  to  Peter,  and  to  the  Apostles 
collectively.  After  eight  days,  that  is,  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  he  again  appeared 
t)  the  eleven.  Not  improbably  this  was  done  specially  to  render  that  day  memorable 
to  the  Apostles.  In  that  year  the  dxy  of  Pentecost  fell  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  'when,'  as  we  read,  the  disciples  were  all  with  one  accord  in  one  place.' 
(Acts  2:  1).  The  first  day  of  the  week,  thus  doubly  became  the  birthday  of  the 
religion  of  Christ.  A  quarter  of  a  century  later  occurred  the  scene  related  in  this 
chapter.  It  would  seem  that  at  this  period  the  first  d<ty  had  become  the  stated  day  of 
Christian  assembling.  It  was  evidently  the  usual  day  for  the  brethren  of  Troas  to 
meet  together  to  'break  bread.'  Paul,  writing  only  a  few  months  before  this  scene, 
to  the  Corinthi  tns,  refei's  to  the  first  day  of  the  week  as  being  the  day  for  the  practice 
^of  special  religious  duties :  '  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  let  each  one  of  you  lay- 
by him  in  store,'  etc.,  (1  Cor.  16  :  1). 

Many  years  later,  John  in  the  Revelation  (1: 10),  -writes  of  himself  as  being  '  in  the 
Spirit  on  the  L  jrd's  day.'  By  this  nam  j  he  could  not  have  intended  to  speak  of  the 
Sabbath,  for  the  word  Sabbath  was  then  universally  used  for  the  seventh  day,  but 
only  of  the  solemn  day  of  the  week  liallowed  by  the  memories  of  the  first  Easter  and 
Pentecost.  Passing  to  the  second  c  ntury,  we  read  in  the  Epistle  of  Barnabas  (not 
the  friend  of  Paul,  but  a  teacher  of  Alexandria,  who  Mrote  in  the  first  half  of  the 
second  century), '  We  celebrated  the  eighth  day,  that  is  the  first  day  of  the  week,  with 
joy,  on  which  Jesus  rose  from  the  dejid.'  Justin  Martyr,  about  A.  D.  140,  tells  us  that 
'  on  the  day  called  Suuduy  was  an  assembly  of  all  who  lived  either  in  cities  or  in  rural 
districts,  and  the  memoirs  of  the  Apostles  and  the  writings  of  the  Apostles  are  read.' 
He  mentiuus  that  the  reason  for  meeting  on  Sunday  was,  "Because  it  is  the  first  day 
of  the  seven  on  which  God  dispelled  the  darkness  and  the  origiutl  state  of  things 
and  formed  the  world,  and  because  Christ  rose  from  the  dead  upon  it.'  A  few  years 
later,  Dionysius  (A.  D.  170)  writes :  '  To-day  was  the  Lord's  day  and  kept  holy,  and 
we  read  your  letter,  from  the  reading  of  which  from  time  to  time  we  shall  be  able  to 
derive  admonition,  as  we  do  from  the  former  one  written  to  us  by  the  hand  of  Cle- 
ment.' Melito,  Bishop  of  Sardis,  a  contemporary  of  Dionysius,  is  stated  by  Eusebius 
to  have  written  a  treatise  on  '  the  Lord's  day.'  A  little  later,  about  A.  D.  180,  Ire- 
najus  alludes  distinctly  to  the  universal  observance  of  the  Lord's  day.  Clement  of 
Alexandria,  A.  D.  196,  speaks  of  the  Lord's  day  as  a  customary  festival, 
TertuUian  of  Carthage,  about  A.  D.  200,  speaks  often  of  the  Lord's  day  in 
such  terms  as,  'We  consider  it  wrong  to  fast  on  the  Lord's  day,'  'Sunday  we  give  to 
joy.'  In  one  passage  he  distinctly  refers  to  the  cessation  from  business  on  the  part  of 
the  Christians  on  the  Lord's  day.  Origen,  the  great  Alexandrian  teacher,  A.  D.  230, 
says,  '  It  is  one  of  tlie  marks  of  the  perfec:  Christian  to  keep  the  Lord's  day.'  Other 
passages,  in  which  mention  is  casually  made  of  the  observance  of  the  first  day  of  the 
week  ,  usually  under  the  name  of  the  Lord's  day,  occur  in  the  writings  of  Cyprian  of 
Carthage,  A.  D.  250,  and  others,  (these  are  quoted  at  length  in  the  exhaustive  history 
of  '  the  Lord's  day,'  by  Archdeacon  Hessey,  Bampton  Lectures,  '  Sunday,'  1860.) 

We  have  here  adduced  testimony— dating  from  the  days  immediately  succeed- 
ing the  resurrection,  A.  D.  32  down  to  A.  D.  270,  shortly  after  which  date  Chris- 
tianity  became  the  recognized  faith  of  the  Roman  world— that  the  first  day  of 
the  week  was  adopted  by  the  early  Christians  as  the  special  day  for  the  solemu 
weekly  ass  mbly.  At  first  the  Hebrew  Sabbath  was  kept  by  the  Jewish  Christians 
with  the  old  strictness ;  but  as  the  Christian  faith  spread  among  Gentile  nations. 


310  ACTS  XXI.  [21  :  1-3. 

Chapter  21 :  1-6. 

PauVs  Journey  from  Miletus  to  Tyre. 

21  1  And  when  it  came  to  pass  that  we  were  parted  from 
them,  and  had  set  sail,  we  came  with  a  straight  course 
unto  Cos,  and  the  next  day  unto  Rhodes,  and  from 
2  thence  unto  Patara :  and  having  found  a  ship  crossing 
over  unto  Phoenicia,  we  went  aboard,  and  set  sail. 
And  when  we  had  come  in  sight  of  Cyprus,  leaving  it 
on  the  left  hand,  we  sailed  unto  Syria,  and  landed  at 
Tyre:  for  there  the  ship  was  to  unlade  her  burden. 

silently  the  old  Sabbath  observances  were  dispensed  with,  and  the  sacred  associations 
which  surrounded  the  seventh  day  were  transferred  to  the  first  day,  which  was 
generally  termed,  in  memory  of  the  great  event  which  happened  on  it,  the  Lord's 
day. 

PauVs  Journey  from  Miletus  to  Tyre,  vers.  1-6. 

Ver.  1.  We  were  parted  from  them.  The  Greek  word  here, 
as  Chrysostom  remarks,  is  a  very  forcible  expression,  and  signifies, 
'  when  we  had  torn  ourselves  away  from  them.' — Cos.  A  small  island 
forty  miles  south  of  Miletus,  and  famous  for  its  wines  and  fabrics.  It 
possessed,  in  the  days  of  Paul,  a  celebrated  temple  of  J^sculapius,  and 
was  a  renowned  school  of  medicine.  It  was  the  birth-place  of  Hip- 
pocrates the  physician,  and  Apelles  the  painter. — Rhodes.  An  island 
and  a  city,  fifty  miles  south-cast  of  Cos.  It  was  one  of  the  fairest 
portions  of  the  world.  There  was  a  proverb  that  '  the  sun  shone  every 
day  in  Rhodes.'  From  its  unrivalled  situation,  lying  as  it  does  on  the 
verge  of  two  of  the  basins  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  it  has  always 
been  an  emporium  for  the  eastern  and  western  trades.  It  possessed  a 
great  temple  to  the  sun,  and  was  famous  as  the  site  of  the  Colossus, 
one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world,  a  colossal  figure  of  brass  at 
the  head  of  the  harbor,  and  over  100  feet  high.  In  the  history  of  the 
Middle  Ages  Rhodes  obtained  a  distinguished  place  as  the  home  of  the 
Knights  of  St.  John.  It  was  also  the  last  Christian  city  to  make  a 
stand  against  the  Saracens.  It  was  captured  by  the  Turks  1522,  and 
to-day  has  a  population  of  30,000. — P  itara.  A  town  on  the  coast  of 
Lydia,  east  of  Rhodes,  and  about  40  miles  away.  This  port  is  now  an 
inland  marsh. 

Ver.  2.  A  ship  crossing  over  unto  Phoenicia.  Circum- 
stances here  favored  Paul.  Patara  was  evidently  the  harbor  whither 
his  ship  was  bound  from  Troas ;  but  there  was  another  vessel  on  the 
point  of  sailing  for  Phoenicia ;  thus  not  a  day  was  lost. 

Ver.  3.  When  we  had  come  in  sight  of  Cyprus.  The 
Greek  word  here  used  is  a  nautical  expression  such  as  an  eye-witness, 
familiar  with  the  language  of  sea-faring  men,  would  have  used  ;  literally, 


21 :  4,  5.]  ACTS  XXI.  311 

4  And  having  found  the  disciples,  we  tarried  there  seven 
days :  and  these  said  to  Paul  through  the  Spirit,  that 

5  he  should  not  set  foot  in  Jerusalem.  And  when  it 
came  to  pass  that  we  had  accomplished  the  days,  we 
departed  and  went  on  our  journey ;  and  they  all,  with 
wives  and  children,  brought  us  on  our  way,  till  we 

having  had  Cyprus  brought  up  to  sight.  There  are  many  such-like 
phrases  in  the  Acts  which  taste,  so  to  speak,  of  the  sea.  It  seems  more 
than  probable  that  Luke  had  in  some  portion  of  his  life  been  connected 
with  some  of  the  great  trading  ships  of  the  Levant.  The  memories 
of  Elymas,  the  sorcerer,  and  Sergius  Paulus  (Acts  13  :  4-12),  no  doubt, 
came  swelling  up  in  Paul's  mind  as  he  passed  by  Cyprus,  and  also  of 
his  old  friend  Barnabas,  whose  home  had  been  on  the  island  (Acts  4 : 
36). — Syria.  Phoenicia  and  Palestine  were  considered  parts  of  the 
province  of  Syria.  The  distance  between  Patara  and  Tyre  was  340 
geographical  miles. — Tyre.  In  Paul's  day  the  glory  of  Tyre  had  long 
since  faded.  Its  merchants  were  no  more  princes.  The  modern  cities 
of  Antioch  and  Caesarea  had  proved  successful  rivals  to  the  old  capital 
of  Phoenicia.  It  now,  indeed,  fulfils  the  old  prophecy,  and  is  literally, 
with  its  shapeless  ruins  by  the  sea,  only  '  a  place  to  spread  nets  upon ' 
(Ezek.  26:  14).  Writing  of  Tyre,  Dr.  Hackett  says:  'Its  most  im- 
portant ruins  lie  at  present  beneath  the  sea ;  it  was  with  melancholy 
interest  that  I  looked  down  upon  them  through  the  calm  waters,  in  the 
long  twilight  which  closed  the  10th  of  May,  1852.' 

Ver.  4.  Having  found  the  disciples.  There  was  a  little 
Christian  church  in  this  city.  It  was  perhaps  organized  when  those 
who  were  scattered  abroad  upon  the  persecution  that  arose  about 
Siephen,  travelled  as  far  as  Phoenicia  (Acts  11:  19).  of  which  Tyre 
was  the  capital.  Plumptre  suggests  that  it  had  been  planted  by  Philip 
the  Evangelist.  Paul  himself  had  most  likely  visited  Tyre  when  he 
passed  through  Phoenicia  to  the  Council  of  Jerusalem  (Acts  15:  3). — 
Tarried  there  seven  days.  This  may  have  been  the  time  exactly 
occupied  in  lading  and  unlading  the  ship.  But  this  peculiar  period  of 
time  mentioned  at  Troas  (20:  6),  and  again  at  Puteoli  (28  :  14),  seems 
to  indicate  that  Paul  arranged  to  be  at  Troas,  Puteoli  and  Tyre  over 
the  Sabbath  and  partake  with  them  of  the  Lord's  Supper. — These 
said  to  Paul  through  the  Spirit,  etc.  They  knew  by  the  in- 
spiration of  the  Spirit  that  afflictions  awaited  Paul  at  Jerusalem,  but 
their  exhortations  to  him  not  to  go  up  to  the  city  were  certainly  not  in- 
spired by  the  Spirit  (Chrysostom,  Hackeit,  Meyer).  The  Apostle  him- 
self knew  well  by  the  testimony  of  the  Holy  Ghost  of  these  afflictions 
(Acts  20  :  23-24),  but  the  thought  of  them  did  not  retard  his  steps. 
— They  all,  with  wives  and  children,  brought  us  on  our 
way.  Baumgarten  observes  that  this  is  the  first  time,  in  the 
notice  of  a  Christian  Church,  that  children  are  mentioned.     The  bap- 


312  ACTS  XXI.  [21 :  6-8. 

6  were  out  of  the  city:  and  kneeling  down  on  the  beach, 
we  prayed,  and  bade  each  otlier  farewell ;  and  we  went 
on  board  the  ship,  but  they  returned  home  again. 

Chapter  21:  7-16. 
Paul  completes  his  Journey  to  Jerusalem. 

7  And  when  we  had  finished  the  voyage  from  Tyre, 
we  arrived  at  Ptolemais  :  and  we  saluted  the  brethren, 

8  and  abode  with  them  one  day.  And  on  the  morrow 
we  departed,  and  came  unto  Caesarea:  and  entering 
into  the  house  of  Philip  the  evangelist,  who  was  one  of 

tism  of  households  has  been  noticed  (Acts  16  :  15),  in  which,  perhaps, 
there  were  children,  but  this  is  the  first  distinct  reference  to  the  child- 
ren of  Christian  parents. — ^Kneeling  down  on  the  beach,  we 
prayed.  Some  have  supposed  that  there  was  uproseuche  or  chapel  of 
prayer  (see  Acts  16 :  13)  on  the  sea  side,  to  which  Paul  and  the  Tyrian 
Christians  went.  This  supposition,  however,  is  very  unnatural  (Meyer). 
They  simply  went  together  to  the  beach,  where  the  vessel  was  to  start, 
and  there  took  leave  of  each  other.  The  scene  was  a  natural  one  and 
has  been  repeated  in  the  experience  of  many  a  modern  foreign  mis- 
sionary. 

Paul  completes  his  Journey  to  Jerusalem,  vers.  7-16. 

Ver.  7.  We  arrived  at  Ptolemais.  The  arrival  here  completed 
the  sea  portion  of  the  Apostle's  journey.  Ptolemais  is  one  of  the  oldest 
cities  in  the  world  ;  we  read  of  it  in  Judg.  1 :  31,  under  the  name  of 
Accho,  as  one  of  the  cities  of  the  Canaanites.  On  the  partition  of  the 
Macedonian  Empire  (3rd  cent.  b.  c),  it  was  rebuilt  and  renamed  Ptole- 
mais by  Ptolemy  Soter.  But  its  old  name  still  survived,  and  eventually 
superseded  the  Egyptian  title.  It  was  famous  in  the  Crusades  under 
the  name  of  St.  Jean  d'Acre.  It  is  still  called  Acre,  and  has  a  popu- 
lation of  1 5,000. — *  Salute  d  the  brethren.  The  mention  of  Christian 
communities  at  Troas,  Tyre,  Ptolemais,  and  other  cities  indicates  how 
widely  the  doctrines  of  Christianity  had  been  spread.  We  are  apt  to 
get  the  idea  that  the  extension  of  the  Gospel  is  measured  by  Paul's 
missionary  labors.  This  is  a  false  one  as  such  notices  as  this  of  the 
'brethren'  at  Ptolemais  prove. 

Ver.  8.  Came  unto  Caesarea.  They  now  travelled  by  land.  Their 
route  led  them  round  Mount  Carmel  along  the  coast  for  thirty  or  forty 
miles  to  Csesarea.  This  was  the  third  visit  Paul  had  paid  to  this  city, 
the  first  having  been  made  on  his  journey  from  Jerusalem  to  Tarsus 
(9  :  30).  and  the  second  on  his  return  to  Antioch  from  his  second  mis- 
sionary tour  (18  :  22).  For  an  account  of  Caesarea  see  chap.  8:  40. 
— The  house  of  Philip.     One  of  the  seven  chosen  with  Stephen 


21  :  9.]  ACTS  XXI.  313 

9  the  seven,  we  abode  with  hiin.     Now  this  man  had 

in  the  early  history  of  the  Church  (Acts  6  :  5).  Philip,  like  Stephen, 
became  a  great  preacher.  He  labored  in  Samaria  (8  :  5).  He  was  the 
means  of  the  conversion  of  the  Ethiopian  treasurer  on  the  way  to  Gaza 
(8:  2(3),  and  preached  in  many  cities  (8  :  40).  This  was  about  a.  d. 
35-36,  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  before  the  visit  of  Paul. — The 
Evangelist.  The  evangelists  of  the  early  Church  were  missionaries, 
and  the  term  was  not  applied  to  the  writers  of  the  Gospels.  Dr. 
Westcott  says  [Introduction  to  the  Gospels,  chap.  3)  :  '  The  evangelist  was 
not  the  compiler  of  a  history,  but  the  missionary  who  carried  the  good 
tidings  to  fresh  countries  ;  the  bearer  and  not  the  author  of  the  mes- 
sage. Till  the  end  of  the  first  century,  and  probably  till  the  time  of 
Justin  Martyr  (about  a.  n.  140),  "  the  Gospel,"  "  Evangel,"  uniformly 
signifies  the  substance  and  not  the  records  of  the  life  of  Christ.'  We 
can  thus  trace  how,  when  the  story  of  the  life  of  Christ — at  first  only 
told  orally  by  the  evangelist  or  missionary — was  written  down  in  the 
form  of  narrative,  the  inspired  writ-ers  became  known  as  the  evangelists. 
Prof.  Plumptre  has  an  interesting  note  here  on  the  meeting  which  must 
have  taken  place  between  Philip  and  Luke  the  companion  of  Paul : 
'  As  far  as  we  know,  Philip  and  Luke  had  not  met  before,  and  we  can 
imagine  the  satisfaction  with  which  the  latter,  himself  probably  an 
evangelist  in  both  senses  of  the  word  (2  Cor.  8  :  18),  and  already  con- 
templating his  work  as  an  historian,  would  welcome  the  acquaintance  of 
the  former;  how  he  would  ask  many  questions  as  to  the  early  history  of 
the  Church,  and  learn  from  him  all  or  neai-ly  all  that  we  find  in  the  first 
eleven  chapters  of  this  book.'  "^^The  word  evangelist  which  comes  from 
the  same  Greek  root  meaning  Gospel  (ei'nyye/.cov)  means  a  '  herald  of 
good  tidings.'  In  Eph.  4:  11,  the  evangelists  are  enumerated  side  by 
side  with  apostles,  prophets,  pastors,  etc.  Their  functions  did  not  con-' 
sist  in  the  execution  of  apostolic  duties  or  in  the  oversight  of  churches, 
but  in  preachiriff  the  Gospel.  They  were  not  a  distinct  order  of  church 
ofiicials.  Deacons,  presbyters,  and  apostles  might  all  exercise  evan- 
gelistic functions  (Acts  8:  25;  1  Cor.  1  :  17,  etc.).  Timothy  was  ex- 
horted to  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist  (2  Tim.  4:  5).  They  acted 
independently  of,  but  were  assistants  to  the  Apostles.  They  were  itin- 
erant preachers  {TcepUovreq  kKr/fwrroi^,  Theodoret).  Oecumenius  was  the 
first  to  restrict  the  term  to  the  authors  of  the  Gospels. 

Ver.  9.  Four  daughters,  virgins,  which  did  prophesy. 
This  is  an  example  of  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  quoted  by  Peter 
in  the  early  days  of  the  faith  (Acts  2:17):  'I  will  pour  forth  of  my 
Spirit  upon  all  flesh :  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  pro- 
phesy,' etc.  From  the  several  traditions,  it  seems  that  two  of  these 
daughters  were  married.  There  seems  to  have  been  an  organization 
(see  1  Tim.  5:  9,  etc.)  at  Ephesus  of  'widows'  of  an  advanced  age, 
who  spent  their  days  in  charitable  work  in  connection  with  the 
Church.  But  we  find  no  trace  of  any  order  of  virgins  in  the  early 
Church. 


314  ACTS  XXI.  [21  :  10-13. 

10  four  daughters,  virgins,  which  did  prophesy.  And 
as  we  tarried  there  ^many  days,*  there  came  down  from 

11  Judaea  a  certain  prophet,  named  Agabus.  And  coming 
to  us,  and  taking  Paul's  girdle,  he  bound  his  own  feet 
and  hands,  and  said,  Thus  saith  the  Holy  Ghost,  So 
shall  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  bind  the  man  that  owneth 
this  girdle,  and  shall  deliver  him  into  the  hands  of  the 

12  Gentiles.  And  when  we  lieard  these  things,  both  we 
and  they  of  that  place  besought  him  not  to  go  up  to 

13  Jerusalem.     Then  Paul  answered,  What  do  ye,  weep- 

1  Or,  some. 
*  For  "  many  days  "  read  '■  some  days." — Am.  Com. 

Ver.  10.  "We  tarried  there  many  days.  The  Greek  word  ren- 
dered 'many'  is  in  the  comparative  degree,  and  apparently  signifies 
that  Paul  tarried  in  Ctesarea  '  more  days '  than  at  first  he  had  in- 
tended. He  was  now  only  two  days'  easy  journey  from  Jerusalem, 
which  he  intended  to  reach  by  Pentecost. — A  certain  prophet, 
named  Agabus.  This  is  the  same  Agabus  who  foretold  the  famine 
in  the  days  of  Claudius  Ciesar  (Acts  11  :  28).  The  name,  the  oflBce, 
and  the  residence  are  the  same  in  both  instances. 

Ver.  11.  Taking  Paul's  girdle,  he  bound  his  o"wn  feet 
and  hands,  etc.  The  loose  flowing  robes  worn  in  Eastern  countries 
are  bound  about  the  waist  with  a  sash  or  girdle.  Taking  this  from  the 
Apostle,  Agabus,  in  the  dramatic  way  with  which  the  old  seers  of  Israel 
were  wont  to  deliver  their  prophecies,  revealed  to  Paul  the  peculiar 
form  of  danger  which  awaited  him  at  Jerusalem.  Hitherto  the  pro- 
phetic voices  had  simply  spoken  of  perils  ;  Agabus  now  signifies  the 
exact  nature  of  the  danger.  We  have  many  instances  in  the  0.  T.  of 
similiar  symbolical  prophecies  ;  as  the  horns  of  iron  of  Zedekiah  when 
he  prophesied  before  the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel  (1  Kings  22  :  11)  ; 
the  walking  naked  and  barefoot  of  Isaiah  (Isa.  20  :  2-3)  ;  the  marred 
linen  girdle  of  Jeremiah  (Jer.  13  :  4-9)  ;  the  tile  with  the  city  of  Jeru- 
salem portrayed  upon  it  (Ezek.  4  :  1,2);  the  iron  pan  of  Ezekiel  (Ezek. 
4 :  3),  etc  — Thus  saith  the  Holy  Ghost  A  solemn  formula, 
corresponding  to  the  well-known  0.  T.,  Thus  saith  the  Lord. 

Ver.  12.  "We  and  they  of  that  place  besought  him,  etc. 
Paul's  companions,  Luke,  Aristarchus,  Trophimus,  and  the  brethren  in 
Csesarea.  Comme^.tators  strikingly  call  attention  here  to  the  parallel 
between  Paul  and  Paul's  Master,  who  had  to  listen  to  his  disciple  Peter 
endeavoring  to  persuade  him  to  turn  aside  from  the  way  of  suflFering 
on  which  he  had  entered,  with  the  words  '  Be  it  far  from  thee,  Lord,' 
(Matt.  16:  22). 

Ver.  13.  *What  do  ye, "weeping  and  breaking  my  heart  ? 
There  was  a  conflict  between  duty  and  friendly  afiection.    It  is  evident 


21:  14-16]  ACTS  XXL  315 

ing  and  breaking  mj  heart?  for  I  am  ready  not  to  be 
bound  only,  but  also  to  die  at  Jerusalem  for  the  name 

14  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  And  when  he  would  not  be 
persuaded,  we  ceased,  saying,  The  will  of  the  Lord  be 
done. 

15  And  after  these  days  we  Hook  up  our  baggage,  and 

16  went  up  to  Jerusalem.  And  there  went  with  us  also 
certain  of  the  disciples  from  Csesarea^  bringing  with 
them  one  Mnason  of  Cyprus,  an  early  disciple,  with 
whom  we  should  lodge. 

1  Or,  made  ready. 

that  Paul  was  very  sensitive  to  the  affection  of  friends,  as  his  leave- 
taking  at  Miletus  proves. — I  am  ready  not  to  be  bound  only, 
but  also  to  die  at  Jerusalem,  Paul,  in  spite  of  the  reiterated 
prophecies,  and  affectionate  entreaties  of  friends,  saw  clearly  the  divine 
will  and  his  own  plain  duty,  and  held  on  to  his  first  purpose  without 
flinching.  At  the  great  Pentecostal  feast  in  Jerusalem,  he  would  meet 
with  many  thousand  Jews  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  all  more  or  less 
prejudiced  against  him,  as  the  one  who  was  teaching  the  children  of 
the  chosen  people  to  forsake  the  Law.  He  would  have  an  opportunity 
to  disprove  these  fatal  rumors  and  to  show  how  nobly  his  churches  had 
come  forward  with  help  for  the  Palestine  Christians.  Luther,  when 
similarly  warned  of  coming  danger,  resolutely  replied,  on  his  way  to 
Worms,  to  his  friends  entreating  him  not  to  expose  himself  to  dangers  : 
'  Although  there  were  as  many  devils  in  Worms  as  there  are  tiles  upon 
the  house-tops,  I  would  go  thither.' 

Ver.  14.  The  -will  of  the  Lord  be  done.  It  seems  prob- 
able that  this  expression  of  resignation  to  the  divine  will,  was  a 
reminiscence  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  such  a  use  of  one  of  its  petitions 
suggests  that  the  Christians  of  the  apostolic  age  were  in  the  habit  of 
frequently  using  the  prayer.  Bernard  beautifully  writes :  *  We  say 
daily  in  the  Lord's  Prayer,  "Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in 
heaven."  Oh,  how  pure  and  serene  is  our  life  when  that  will  alone 
directs  us,  and  when  not  a  trace  of  our  own  will  remains  behind  ! 
With  such  a  frame  of  mind,  we  become  like  unto  God.' 

Ver.  15.  Our  baggage.  The  alms  from  the  Gentile  churches 
probably  constituted  a  portion  of  this  luggage. 

Ver.  IB,  One  Mnason,  Mnason  was,  no  doubt,  an  important 
person  in  the  Jerusalem  Church  ;  he  is  styled  '  an  early  disciple,'  and 
was  possibly  converted  during  the  life  of  our  Lord  himself.  Prof, 
Plumptre  thinks  '  we  may  fjiirly  infer  that  he  was  one  of  those  who 
had  been  "from  the  beginning"  among  the  eye-witnesses  and  minis- 
ters of  the  Word,  to  whom  Luke  refers  as  his  informants  (Luke  1 :  2). 


316  ACTS  XXI.  [21 :  17,  18. 

Chapter  21:  17-26. 
Paul  takes  a  Vow  to  conclUate  the  Jewish  Believers. 

17  And  when  we  were  come  to  Jerusalem,  the  breth- 

18  ren  received  us  gladly.     And  the  day  following  Paul 
went  in  with  us  unto  James ;  and  all  the  elders  were 

If  so,  it  is  interesting  as  showing  that  our  Lord's  disciples  were  not 
limited  to  the  natives  of  Galilee  and  Judaea.' 

♦Practical  Notes. — Life  is  like  a  voyage  by  sea  (ver.  1),  May  we  all  reach  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem  in  spite  of  intervening  perils,  temptations  and  sufferings  ! — Com- 
merce may  aid  in  the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  The  vessels  that  were  sailing  between 
different  ports  with  freight  also  carried  Paul  and  his  companions.  In  modern  times, 
God,  in  His  wise  providence,  has  opened  a  way  for  the  Gospel  in  India  and  other  coun- 
tries by  the  commercial  relations  of  England  and  America.  Happy  is  that  merchant  vessel 
which  has  a  Christian  crew. — The  last  j  ourney  of  Paul  to  Jerusalem  presents  a  strong  con- 
trast to  his  first  journey  from  Jerusalem.  Now  he  journeys  on,  an  humble  and  devoted 
follower  of  Christ ;  then  he  went  out  as  a  blasphemer  and  persecutor.  Now  he  goes  ex- 
pecting to  siiffcr  and  to  die  for  believing  on  Christ ;  then  he  went  out  to  make  others 
suffer,  and  to  put  them  to  death  for  the  same  faith.  Now  he  meets  Christians  at  every 
port  where  the  vessel  stops,  and  seeks  them  out  (ver.  4)  to  pray  with  them ;  then  there 
were  only  a  few  scattered  Christians,  and  he  sought  them  out  in  (^Damascus)  to  compel 
them  to  blaspheme. — The  prospect  of  trial,  and  even  a  violent  death,  should  not  deflect 
U8  from  the  path  of  duty  (ver.  11,  Com.  Judg.  5  :  18).  Paul  in  this  voyage  recalls  the 
case  of  the  Saviour  who  "stedfastly  set  his  face  to  go  to  Jerusalem"  (Luke  9 :  51).  The 
knowledge  that  a  painful  death  and  mocking  awaited  him  did  not  shake  his  resolution 
When  we  once  are  sure  that  we  are  in  the  path  of  duty  and  obedience  to  God,  nothing 
ought  to  be  suflBcient  to  shake  us  or  make  us  swerve. — Paul's  readiness  to  die  at  Jeru- 
salem, if  need  be  (ver.  13),  was  due  to  the  constiaining  power  of  Christ's  love.  He  was 
willing  to  suffer  all  and  to  do  all,  that  he  might  "gain  Christ"  (Phil.  3:  8) —The 
Lord's  will  is  our  wisdom  (ver.  14).  We  pray  that  that  will  may  be  ours  in  the  Lord's 
prayer.  A  ready  submission  to  the  Lord  is  the  best  and  only  way  of  securing  the 
highest  blessing  and  welfare.  When  the  Lord's  will  entails  suffering  it  maybe  hard 
to  bear,  but  the  assurance  that  "all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love 
God"  (Rom.  8 :  28,  makes  all  pains  tolerable  that  lift  us  up  to  Him. 

Paul  takes  a  Vow  to  conclUate  the  Jewish  Believers,  vers.  17-26. 

Ver.  17.  We  were  come  to  Jerusalem.  Paul  now  arrives  at 
Jerusalem  for  the  fifth  time  since  he  left  it  on  that  journey  to  Damas- 
cus to  persecute  the  believers  in  Jesus  (Acts  9  :  2).  This  is  his  last 
recorded  visit,  and  it  probably  took  place  a.  d.  58. — The  brethren 
received  us  gladly.  This  must  have  been  an  informal  reception 
either  at  the  city  gates  or  in  the  house  of  Mnason,  for  we  read  how 
James  and  the  elders  received  the  traveller  and  his  companions  on  the 
day  following. 

Ver.  18.     Paul  "^vent  in  with  us  unto  James.     This  James 


21 :  19, 20.]  ACTS  XXI.  317 

19  present.  And  when  he  had  saluted  them,  he  re- 
hearsed  one    by   one    the    things    which    God    had 

20  wrought  among,  the  Gentiles  by  his  ministry.  And 
they,  when  they  heard  it,  glorified  God;  and  they 
said  unto  him,  Thou  seest,  brother,  how  many  ^  thou- 

1  Gr.  myriads. 

was  the  so-called  brother  of  the  Lord,  not  one  of  the  Twelve,  but 
among  the  more  prominent  members  of  the  Jerusalem  church,  of  which 
community  he  became  the  '  bishop'  or  presiding  elder.  See  note,  chap. 
15  :  13.  There  are  in  the  New  Testament  three  men  bearing  the  name  of 
James — the  first,  James  the  brother  of  John,  sulfered  martyrdom  under 
Herod  (Acts  12:  2)  ;  the  second,  James  the  Less,  the  son  of  Alphaeus, 
also  one  of  the  Twelve ;  the  third,  James  the  so-called  brother  of  the 
Lord  here  mentioned.  He  is  generally  known  in  history  as  '  the  Just.' 
Ten  or  eleven  years  after  this  time,  in  69,  he  suffered  martyrdom  by 
being  hurled  from  a  pinnacle  of  the  Temple,  and  was  finally  despatched 
by  stoning  (Hegesippus  in  Eus.  //.  JS.  ii.  23). — All  the  elders  were 
present.  The  mention  of  James  and  '  all  the  elders,'  and  the  omis- 
sion of  any  allusion  to  the  Apostles,  is  a  proof  that  none  of  these  were 
at  this  time  resident  in  Jerusalem.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  had  passed  since  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost. Some  had  rejoined  their  Lord,  others  were  working  for  him  in 
distant  lands. 

Yer.  19.  He  rehearsed  one  by  one  the  things,  etc.  Both 
from  the  private  (ver,  17)  and  public  reception  of  Paul  and  his  com- 
panions by  the  presiding  elders  and  James,  it  is  clear  that  the  govern- 
ing body  among  the  resident  Jerusalem  Christians  sympathized  with 
Paul's  work,  and  endorsed  his  teaching  and  practice.  On  this  occasion 
he,  no  doubt,  presented  the  costly  alms  contributed  by  Vae  foreign 
Gentile  congiegations  to  their  Jewish  brethren  in  Palestine. 

Yer.  20.  How^  many  thousands  there  are  among  the  Je-w^s 
"which  have  believed.  The  Greek  word  rendered  '  thousands'  is  even 
stronger,  'myriads,'  'tens  of  thousands.'  James  was  speaking  not  ot 
the  Christian  Jews  of  Jerusalem  only,  but  of  that  vast  multitude  which 
was  in  the  habit  of  keeping  the  feast  of  Pentecost  in  Jerusalem.  Of 
all  the  great  Jewish  festivals,  Pentecost  attracted  the  largest  number 
of  pilgrims  from  distant  countries.  We  read  in  Acts  4  :  4  that  the 
number  of  'believers'  in  the  city  was  about  five  thousand.  This  was 
twenty-four  years  back,  and  in  the  meantime  Christianity  had  con- 
tinued to  spread. — Zealous  for  the  la^^.  The  Jews  of  the  first 
century  in  great  numbers  were  willing  to  acknowledge  Jesus  as  the 
Messiah,  but  they  were  reluctant  to  give  up  their  privileges  as  the  chosen 
race,  and  so  they  clung  to  their  Law  with  an  attachment  more  devoted 
than  ever.  The  hostility  of  the  Jewish  Christians  to  Paul  sprang  from 
their  consciousness  that  he  looked  upon  the  Law  as  abolished.    A  large 


318  ACTS  XXI.  [21 :  21-23. 

sands  there  are  amoDg  the  Jews  of  them  which  have 

21  believed  :  and  they  are  all  zealous  for  the  law :  and 
they  have  been  informed  concerning  thee,  that  thou 
teachest  all  the  Jews  which  are  among  the  Gentiles 
to  forsake  Moses,  telling  them  not  to  circumcise 
their    children,   neither   to  walk    after   the    customs. 

22  What  is  it  therefore  ?    they  will  certainly  hear  that 

23  thou  art  come.     Do  therefore  this  that  we  say  to  thee : 

body  of  them  subsequently  withdrew  from  the  Church,  and  are  known 
in  ecclesiastical  history  as  Nazarenes  and  Ebionites.  The  latter  sect 
was  very  widely  spread.  They  rejected  the  authority  and  writings  of 
Paul,  branding  him  as  an  apostate.  They  held,  also,  erroneous  views 
respecting  the  person  of  Christ. 

Ver.  21.  Thou  teachest  all  the  Jews  which  are  among 
the  Gentiles  to  forsake  Moses,  etc.  These  assertions  were 
false.  Paul's  teaching  on  circumcision  and  the  Mosaic  ordinances  is 
best  summarized  in  his  own  words  to  the  Corinthians:  'Was  any  man 
called  being  circumcised  ?  let  him  not  become  uncircumcised.  Hath 
any  been  called  in  uncircumcision  ?  let  him  not  be  circumcised.  Cir- 
cumcision is  nothing,  and  uncircumcision  is  nothing ;  but  the  keeping 
of  the  commandments  of  God,'  etc.  (1  Cor.  7  :  18-20).  Paul  never 
taught  the  Jewish  Christian  to  abandon  the  Law  and  the  customs  of 
his  fathers.  He  himself,  on  the  contrary,  on  several  occasions  con- 
spicuously observed  the  rites  of  Judaism  :  as,  for  instance,  when  he 
had  Timothy  circumcised  (Acts  16  :  3) ;  when  he  lived  as  a  Jew  with 
the  Jews,  etc.  Yet,  as  it  has  been  well  observed,  'fanaticism  is  some- 
times clear-sighted  in  its  bitterness,  and  the  Judaizers  felt  that  when 
it  was  proclaimed  that  circumcision  was  nothing,''  a* rite  unessential  to 
salvation,  the  day  would  come  at  no  far  distant  date  when  circumcision 
would  cease  to  be  practised,  and  the  Law  of  Moses,  which  enjoined  it 
as  the  initial  and  principal  rite,  would  become  a  dead  letter. 

Ver.  22.  "What  is  it  therefore  ?  they  will  certainly  hear 
that  thou  art  come.  '  Seeing,  now,  this  is  the  state  of  things,  that 
you,  Paul,  are  looked  upon  by  a  large  number  of  our  countrymen  with 
jealous  suspicion,  let  us  consider  vvhat  is  best  under  the  circumstances 
for  you  to  do ;  for  it  is  certain  that  out  of  all  these  multitudes  of 
foreign  Jews  come  up  to  keep  Pentecost,  a  great  number  will  always 
be  watching  you,  to  see  whether  what  they  have  heard  alleged  against 
you  be  just.' 

Ver.  23.  We  have  four  men  which  have  a  vow  on  them. 
These  were,  of  course.  Christian  Jews.  It  is  curious  to  observe  that, 
in  the  church  of  the  Holy  City,  the  old  Jewish  customs  were  still 
observed.  James  himself  seems  to  have  followed  this  course,  and 
according  to  Hegesippus  (Eus.  H.  E.  iii.  23),  he  lived  the  life  of  a 
Nazarite.     *  James  drank  no  strong  drink,  neither  did  he  eat  flesh. 


21  :  24,  25.]  ACTS  XXI.  319 

2i  We  have  four  men  which  have  a  vow  on  them ;  these 
take,  and  purify  thyself  with  them,  and  be  at  charges 
for  them,  that  they  may  shave  their  heads:  and  all 
shall  know  that  there  is  no  truth  in  the  things  whereof 
they  have  been  informed  concerning  thee;  but  that 
thou  thyself  also  walkest  orderly,  keeping  the  law. 

25  But  as  touching  the  Gentiles  which  have  believed, 
we  ^  wrote,  giving  judgement  that  they  should  keep 

1  Or,  enjoined.    Many  ancient  authorities  read  sent. 

No  razor  ever  touched  his  head  ;  he  did  not  anoint  himself  with  oil ; 
he  did  not  use  the  bath.  He  would  enter  the  Temple  alone,  and  be 
found  there  kneeling  on  his  knees,  and  asking  forgiveness  for  the 
people;  so  that  his  knees  grew  hard  like  a  camel's  knees,  because  he 
was  ever  upon  them  worshipping  God,  and  asking  forgiveness  for  the 
people.'  The  vow  which  these  four  men  had  taken  was  the  Nazarite 
vow.  This  involved  their  leading  an  ascetic  life  for  a  certain  time, 
usually  thirty  days.  When  the  time  was. completed,  certain  offerings 
had  to  be  presented  in  the  Temple.  It  seems  to  have  been  the  custom 
for  the  wealthier  Jews  to  assume  the  expenses  of  these  offerings.  Such 
an  act  of  benevolence  was  looked  upon  by  the  more  earnest  Jews  as 
specially  meritorious.  Agrippa  I.,  on  his  arrival  in  Jerusalem,  after 
having  obtained  the  crown  of  Palestine,  paid  the  expenses  of  many 
poor  Xazarites  who  were  waiting  to  be  released  from  their  vows, 

Ver.  24.  These  take,  and  purify  thyself  -wit-h  them,  and 
be  at  charges  for  them.  These  chai-ges  were,  for  each  of  the 
four  persons,  an  he-lamb  for  a  burnt-offering,  a  ewe-larab  for  a  sin- 
offering,  a  ram  for  a.peace-offering,  together  with  a  basket  of  unleavened 
bread,  cakes  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil,  and  a  drink  offering  (see 
Num.  6  :  14-18),  in  addition  to  which  there  was  a  fee  to  the  priest  or 
Levite  for  shaving  the  head. — All  shall  know  that  there  is  no 
truth  in  the  things,  etc.  Namely,  that  he  had  advised  against  the 
keeping  of  the  Law.  James  thought  that  nothing  would  be  so  likely 
to  conciliate  the  conservative  party  among  the  .Jewish  Christians  as 
the  sight  of  the  well-known  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  sharing  in,  and 
assisting  at  his  own  cost  others  to  take  part  in  one  of  the  chei-ished 
Jewish  customs.  Surely  one  who  could  thus  publicly  by  example  and 
teaching  maintain  the  rigid  observance  of  the  ceremonial  law,  would 
never  sanction  disloyalty  to  the  national  traditions  of  Isi-ael. 

Ver.  25.  As  touching  the  Gentiles  which  have  believed, 
■we  wrote,  etc.  See  Acts  15:  20.  James  and  the  Jerusalem  elders 
were  careful — after  they  had  advised  Paul  to  assist  the  poor  Nazarites, 
and  to  associate  himself  with  them  in  their  vow — to  repeat  that  they 
had  no  desire  whatever  to  interfere  with  the  perfect  liberty  of  action, 
and  freedom  from  all  the  restraints  of  the  Law,  which  had  already,  in 


320  ACTS  XXI.  [21  :  26. 

themselves  from  things  sacrificed  to  idols,  and   from 

blood,  and  from  what  is  strangled,  and  from  fornica- 

26  tion.     Them  Paul  ^  took  the  men,  and  the  next  day 

1  Or,  took  the  men  the  next  day,  and  purifying  himself,  dkc. 

the  apostolic  conclave  at  Jerusalem,  been  conceded  to  Gentile  Chris- 
tians. These  austere  practices  like  the  Nazarite's  vow  were  to  be 
expected  only  from  born  Jews. 

Ver.  26.  Paul  took  the  men,  etc.  Dr.  SchafF  {Hist,  of  the  Apos- 
tolic Church)  well  remarks  on  this  concession  of  Paul  to  the  request  of 
James:  'The  position  of  James,  as  his  martyrdom  a  few  years  after 
Bhows,  was  at  all  events  one  of  extreme  difficulty;  since,  amidst  the 
growing  obduracy  of  the  nation,  and  in  sight  of  its  impending  doom, 
he  still  had  to  stand — for  this  was  his  jjroper  mission — as  the  connect- 
ing link  between  the  old  and  the  new  dispensations.  And  as  to  Paul, 
he  was  here  not  in  his  proper  Gentile-Christian  field  of  labor.  His 
conduct  on  other  occasions  proves  that  he  was  far  from  allowing 
himself  to  be  restricted  in  this  field.  He  reserved  to  himself  entire 
independence  in  his  operations.  But  he  stood  now  on  the  venerable 
ground  of  the  Jewish-Christian  mother  Church,  where  he  had  to 
respect  the  customs  of  the  fxthers,  and  the  authority  of  James,  the 
regular  bishop  or  presiding  elder.  Clearly  conscious  of  already  pos- 
sessing righteousness  and  salvation  in  Christ,  he  accommodated  him- 
self, with  the  best  and  noblest  intentions,  to  the  weaker  brethren. 
Though  himself  free,  he  became  to  them  that  were  under  the  Law,  as 
under  the  Law,  that  he  might  gain  some  (1  Cor.  9:  19-23).  Should  he 
therefore,  in  this  particular  instance,  have  yielded  too  much,  it  would 
at  all  events  not  have  been  a  betrayal  of  his  convictions ;  but  a  personal 
sacrifice  for  the  great  end  of  the  p^ac.^  and  unity  of  the  Church.  And 
surely  this  sacrifice  must  have  been  duly  appreciated  by  the  more 
moderate  and  noble-minded  of  the  Jewish  Christians.'  Surely  these 
records  of  the  Acts,  with  their  unflinching  truth,  speak  with  a  mighty 
power  to  us  after  all  these  ages.  "We  feel,  while  we  read  of  the  awful 
fall  of  one  of  the  Twelve  (1 :  16-20) ;  of  the  sin  and  punishment  of  two 
of  the  early  believers  (5:  1-11) ;  of  the  jealous  murmuring  of  the  poor 
saints  (6:1);  of  the  failure  in  courage  of  Mark,  and  the  dispute  of 
Paul  and  Barnabas  (15 :  38-40) ;  and,  here,  of  this  doubtful  compromise 
of  Paul  that  we  have  before  us  a  real  picture  of  the  Church  of  the  first 
days,  by  one  who  never  shrinks  to  paint  the  errors,  and  mistakes  of 
even  the  most  distinguished  of  the  first  believers.  Nothing  is  concealed, 
nothing  is  even  partially  veiled.  On  the  same  page  with  the  successes 
of  the  Christians,  appear  their  failures;  side  by  side  with  their  super- 
natural powers,  their  sins  and  human  weaknesses.  No  careful  reader 
can  study  the  Acts  without  gaining  a  surer  confidence,  that  he  has 
before  him  a  genuine  record  of  the  life  of  Christian  men  during  the 
thirty  years  which  succeeded  the  resurrection  of  Jesus. —  Declaring 
the  fulfilment  of  the  days  of  purification,  etc.     Paul  entered 


21  :  26.]  ACTS  XXI.  321 

purifying  himself  with  them  went  into  the  temple,  de- 
claring the  fulfilment  of  the  days  of  purification,  until 
the  offering  was  offered  for  every  one  of  them. 

the  Temple  declaring  to  the  priests  when  the  days  of  purification  would 
be  completed  for  himself  and  the  four,  namely,  in  seven  days ;  and  that 
then,  at  the  close  of  them,  the  customary  offerings  for  all  of  them  would 
be  made.  Dean  Howson  {St.  Paul,  chap.  21)  would  render  the  whole 
passage  thus :  '  He  entered  into  the  Temple,  giving  public  notice  that 
the  days  of  purification  were  fulfilled,  (and  stayed  there)  till  the  offer- 
ing for  each  one  of  the  Nazarites  was  brought.'  If  this  rendering  be 
adopted,  we  must  understand  that  Paul  entered  the  Temple  and  told 
the  priests  that  the  period  of  the  Nazaritic  vow  was  accomplished ;  and 
he  waited  then  till  the  necessary  offerings  were  made  for  each  of  them, 
and  their  hair  cut  and  burnt  in  the  sacred  fire.  Wieseler  also  adopts 
this  view.  [The  rendering,  however,  given  above,  which  looks  on  the 
announcement  of  the  days  of  purification  as  having  reference  to  the 
future,  on  the  whole  appears  best  and  simplest.]  Seven  days  was  the 
ordinary  period  for  the  more  solemn  purifications  (Ex.  29 :  37 ;  Lev. 
12:  2;   13:  6;  Num.  12:  H  15;  19:  14-16,  etc.). 

*  Practical  Notes. — The  most  zealous  worker  in  a  good  cause  may  expect  to  have 
detractors  (ver.  20).  Even  Paul  could  not  win  the  esteem  of  the  Jewish  Christians, 
many  of  whom  were  stay-at-home  Christians. — There  are  always  men  of  narrow  views 
when  any  great  cause  is  being  agitated.  Neither  the  progress  of  the  Gospel  nor  the 
Holy  Spirit  himself  sufficed  to  enlarge  the  sympathies  of  many  of  the  Jewish  Christians. 
They  were  tied  to  their  prejudices,  and  regarded  Christianity  and  divine  grace  as  a 
sort  of  a  Jewish  monopolj'.  Men  with  noble  purposes  and  broad  minds,  like  Paul,  must 
push  on  in  spite  of  narrow  and  hostile  criticism.  So  modern  missions  in  England 
were  at  one  time  a  subject  of  ridicule,  even  with  some  Christian  ministers. — Many  in 
the  Church  are  more  careful  about  matters  of  Church  order  and  ritual  than  about  the 
salvation  of  souls.  The  Jewish  Christians  laid  great  stress  upon  circumcision  and  the 
Law,  but  overlooked  the  call  for  salvation  coming  up  from  sinning  souls. — It  is  well  to 
accommodate  ourselves  to  others'  prejudices,  if,  bj"  so  doing,  we  can  promote  peace 
without  the  sacrifice  of  principle.  Paul  looked  upon  the  practices  of  the  Law  as  matters 
of  indifference.  But  he  was  willing  to  conform  to  them  if,  by  so  doing,  he  might  avoid 
all  offence  and  win  souls.  It  was  with  the  purpose  of  promoting  harmony  in  the 
Church  that  Paul  at  this  visit  to  Jerusalem  followed  the  advice  of  James  and  the  elders 
and  paid  the  charges  of  the  four  who  had  taken  the  Nazarite's  vow. — Did  not  Paul  go 
too  far  in  this  case?  Did  he  not  make  a  compromise  with  the  truth?  It  seems  as  if 
the  Apostle  on  this  occasion  accommodated  himself  too  much  to  the  scruples  of  the 
Jewish  brethren.  At  a|[y  rate,  his  'conduct  had  the  tendency  of  confirming  them  in 
the  persuasion  that  the  observance  of  the  Mosaic  ceremonies  was  necessary  to  salva- 
tion' (Schaff,  Apost.  Church,  p.  360),  and  failed  to  win  their  confideiTce. — In  matters 
unessential  we  should  grant  liberty.  But  in  matters  and  doctrines  fundamental  na 
compromise  is  ever  right. 

21 


322  ACTS  XXI.  [21:  27-29. 

Chapter  21:  27-36. 
Tlie  Popular  Tumult   and  Paul's  Arrest 

27  AdcI  when  the  seven  days  were  almost  completed, 
the  Jews  from  Asia,  when  they  saw  him  in  the  temple, 
stirred  up  all  the  multitude,  and  laid  hands  on  him, 

28  crying  out.  Men  of  Israel,  help  :  This  is  the  man,  that 
teacheth  all  men  everywhere  against  the  people,  and 
the  law,  and  this  place:  and  moreover  he  brought 
Greeks  also  into  the  temple,  and  hath  defiled  this  holy 

29  place.  For  they  had  before  seen  with  him  in  the  city 
Trophimus  the  Ephesian,  whom  they  supposed  that 

The  Popular  Tumult  and  PauVs  Arrest,  vers.  27-36. 

Ver.  27.  "When  the  seven  days  were  almost  completed. 
That  is,  the  days  of  purification  announced  to  the  priests  as  the  time 
to  which  the  vow  of  the  four  Nazarites  Avould  extend,  and  as  the  period 
of  the  Apostle's  sliaring  in  that  consecration. — The  JeTVS  from  Asia, 
when  they  saw  him  in  the  temple,  etc.  No  doubt  many  of 
these  Jews  had  become  acquainted  with  Paul  during  his  residence  in 
Ephesus  and  his  travels  through  Asia  Minor,  and  had  opposed  him 
before. 

Ver.  28.  Crying  out,  Men  of  Israel,  help,  etc.  That  is  to 
apprehend  Paul.  The  immediate  provocation  no  doubt  was  the  fact  of 
Paul's  being  in  company  with  the  Gentile  Trophimus,  with  whom  per- 
haps some  of  the  Jews  coming  from  Ephesus  were  acquainted.  Paul 
they  hated.  They  had  watched  him  for  several  days  with  some  sur- 
prise as  a  Nazarite  constantly  go  in  and  out  of  the  second  court,  where 
was  situated  the  chambers  where  the  Nazarites  performed  their  vows 
(Howson,  *S'^.  Paul,  chap.  21),  and  into  which  no  Gentile  on  pain  of 
death  might  enter.  After  some  days  they  saw  him  in  the  outer  court 
(the  court  of  the  Gentiles),  with  Trophimus  the  Ephesian :  they  at  once 
concluded  he  had  been  taking  him  into  the  inner  court,  where  only  an 
Israelite  might  penetrate.  The  angry  men  at  once  seized  Paul,  and 
charged  him  with  sacrilege.  But  they  accused  him,  besides,  of  having 
taught  all  men  everywhere  not  only  'against  the  Law  and  the  Temple,' 
which  was  the  old  charge  brought  against  Stephen,  but  of  having 
taught  all  men  'against  the  people.'  This  was  really  the  great  accu- 
sation, and  was,  of  course,  based  upon  Paul's  well-known  and  famous 
work  among  the  Gentile  peoples,  whom  Paul  taught  everywhere  were 
fellow-heirs  with  Israel  of  the  kingdom.  This  levelling  up  of  the  long- 
despised  alien,  the  exclusive  Jew  bitterly  resented. 

Ver.  29.  Trophimus  the  Ephesian,  whom  they  supposed 
that  Paul  had  brought  into  the  temple.     Trophimus  was  one 


21 :  30-32.]  ACTS  XXI. 


30  Paul  bad  brought  into  the  temple.  And  all  the  city 
was  moved,  and  the  people  ran  together :  and  they 
laid  hold  on  Paul,  and  dragged  him  out  of  the  temple : 

31  and  straightway  the  doors  were  shut.  And  as  they 
were  seeking  to  kill  him,  tidings  came  up  to  the  ^chief- 
captain  of  the  ^band,  that  all  Jerusalem  was  in  confu- 

32  sion.     And  forthwith  he  took  soldieis  and  centurions, 

1  Or,  military  tribune.    Gr.  chUiarch:  and  so  throughout  this  book. 
3  Or,  cohort. 

of  them  who  had  accompanied  Paul  from  Philippi  to  Jerusalem. 
Being  an  Ephesian,  he  would  be  well  known  by  sight  to  many  of  the 
Jews  from  Asia,  There  were  inscriptions  forbidding  Gentiles  from 
passing  beyond  the  Gentile  porch.  One  of  them  has  recently  been 
found,  and  as  given  by  Prof.  Plumptre  reads  :     '  No   man  of  alien 

KACE  IS  to  enter  WITHIN  THE  BALUSTRADE  AND  FENCE  THAT  GOES 
ROUND  THE  TEMPLE  ;  IF  ANY  ONE  IS  TAKEN  IN  THE  ACT,  LET  HIM  KNOW 
THAT    HE    HAS    HIMSELF    TO    BLAME    FOR    THE   PENALTY   OF   DEATH    THAT 

FOLLOWS.'  This  doom  Trophimus  the  Ephesian  was  supposed  to  have 
brought  on  himself.  But  in  the  eyes  of  the  excited  people  Paul  was 
the  most  guilty,  as  having  induced  the  Gentile,  as  they  fancied,  to  pass 
the  forbidden  barrier.  The  feverish  anxiety  of  the  Jews  to  maintain 
all  their  ancient  customs,  and  their  hostility  to  all  foreign  interference 
was  growing,  if  possible,  it  must  be  remembered,  every  year.  The 
doomed  city  was  filled  with  societies  of  '  zealots '  and  fanatic  Jews. 
Ten  years  after  this  event,  in  a.  d.  70,  not  one  stone  of  all  this  superb 
pile  of  buildings  remained  on  another. 

Ver.  30.  *  All  the  city  was  moved,  and  the  people  ran 
together.  This  popular  tumult  recalls  vividly  the  very  similar  scene 
at  Ephesus  (Acts  19:  29).  The  elements  of  popular  turbulence  were 
even  more  pronounced  in  Jerusalem  than  in  Ephesus,  and  a  crowd  would 
quickly  gather.  The  frequent  insults  which  the  Herods  had  put  upon 
the  religious  prejudices  of  the  Jews  had  developed  a  spirit  of  excitability 
which  was  quickly  roused  on  the  slightest  pretext. — They  laid  hold  on 
Paul.  Paul  was  evidently  at  this  time  in  the  first  of  the  inner  courts, 
probably  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Nazarite  chambers,  and  certainly 
not  with  Trophimus.  The  doors  were  shut,  and  Paul  thrust  out,  to 
guard  against  the  possibility  of  the  Temple  floors  being  stained  with 
blood,  and  thus  polluted  in  the  event  of  Paul  and  his  supposed  com- 
panion being  summarily  put  to  death.  This  was  done  by  the  Levites 
in  charge. 

Ver.  31.  As  they  were  seeking  to  kill  him.  They  had 
already  begun  to  beat  him  when  the  Roman  authorities  arrived  and 
protected  Paul  (ver.  32). 

Ver.  32.  Soldiers  and  centurions.  The  Roman  garrison  at 
Jerusalem  was  stationed  at  the  fortress,  Antonia.     This  castle  (ver.  37) 


324  ACTS  XXI.  [21:  33-36. 

and  ran  down  upon  them :  and  they,  when  they  saw 
the  chief  captain  and  the  soldiers,  left  oif  beating  Paul. 

33  Then  the  chief  captain  came  near,  and  laid  hold  on 
him,  and  commanded  him  to  be  bound  with  two  chains ; 

.    and    inquired  who  he  was,  and  what   he   had  done. 

3i  And  some  shouted  one  thing,  some  another,  among 
the  crowd :  and  when  he  could  not  know  the  cer- 
tainty  for   the   uproar,    he   commanded    him   to   be 

35  brought  into  the  castle.  And  when  he  came  upon 
the  stairs,  so  it  was,  that  he  was  borne  of  the  soldiers 

36  for  the  violence  of  the  crowd ;  for  the  multitude 
of  the  people  followed  after  crying  out,  Away  with 
him. 

or  tower  of  Antonia,  was  built  by  the  Maccabean  princes  for  a  resi- 
dence under  the  name  of  Baris.  Herod  the  Great  rebuilt  it  with  con- 
siderable splendor,  and  named  it  Antonia,  after  Mark  Antony.  It 
stood  at  the  north-west  corner  of  the  Temple  area,  and  communicated 
with  the  Temple  cloisters  by  means  of  two  flights  of  steps.  It  stood 
on  lower  gi-ound  than  the  platform  of  the  Temple,  but  was  raised  to 
such  a  height  that  at  least  one  of  its  four  turrets  commanded  a  view 
of  what  was  going  on  in  the  courts  within.  The  officer  here  called  the 
chief  captain  was  commander  of  a  thousand  men,  and  tlie  centurions 
were  captains  of  companies. 

Ver,  33.  Commanded  him  to  be  bound.  The  chief  captain 
assumed  that  Paul  was  a  criminal  and  guilty  of  some  grave  crime 
against  society,  perhaps  of  being  a  popular  agitator  (ver.  38).  He 
ordered  him  to  be  chained  by  each  hand  to  a  soldier  for  security's 
sake. 

Ver.  34.  Some  shouted  one  thing,  some  another.  The 
same  confused  murmur  of  voices  was  heard  among  the  crowd  as 
at  Ephesus  in  the  amphitheatre  (Acts  19 :  32).  Two  verses  further 
on  (ver.  36),  we  read  how  the  same  sounds  fell  on  the  ears  of  the 
Roman  captain  and  his  soldiery  as  twenty-five  years  before  were 
listened  to  and  obeyed  by  Pilate,  when  Another  was  accused  and  reviled 
by  a  Jewish  mob.  Now  as  then,  the  people  cried  out,  'Away  with 
him!'  (Luke  23:  18). — Into  the  castle.  The  Greek  word  here 
translated  '  castle '  signifies  literally  encampment,  or  garrison.  This  was 
a  portion  of  the  fortress  of  Antonio,  used  as  the  barracks  of  the  im- 
perial soldiery,  where  were  no  doubt  guard-rooms,  set  apart  for  the 
custody  of  prisoners. 

Ver.  35.  ^  Borne  of  the  soldiers.  Perhaps  he  was  surrounded 
by  them  so  as  to  prevent  any  violence  from  the  Jews,  who  were  crowd- 
ing towards  the  stairway,  or  perhaps  he  was  carried  on  the  shoulders 


21:  37-39.]  ACTS  XXI.  325 

Chapter  21 :  37-40. 
PauVs  Request  to  address  the  Mob, 

Z7  And  as  Paul  was  about  to  be  brought  into  the  cas- 
tle, he  saith  unto  the  chief  captain,  May  I  say  some- 
thing  unto   thee?    And   he   said.    Dost   thou    know 

38  Greek  ?  Art  thou  not  then  the  Egyptian,  which  be- 
fore these  days  stirred  up  to  sedition  and  led  out  into 
the  wilderness  the  four  thousand  men  of  the  Assas- 

39  sins  ?  But  Paul  said,  I  am  a  Jew,  of  Tarsus  in  Cilicia, 
a  citizen  of  no  mean  city :  and  I  beseech  thee,  give  me 

of  two  soldiers,  as  he  was  made  more  or  less  helpless  by  the  encum- 
brance of  the  chains,  and  was  in  danger  of  falling  under  the  pressure 
of  the  crowd  and  being  trampled  upon. 

PauTs  Request  to  address  the  Mob,  vers.  37-40. 

Yer.  37.  *  Dost  thou  know  Greek?  The  captain  expected  his 
prisoner  to  be  able  to  speak  only  Hebrew.  He  was  surprised  to  hear 
liim  use  Greek.  It  had  already  begun  to  dawn  upon  him  that  Paul 
was  not  a  political  Jewish  agitator. 

Yer.  38.  Art  thou  not  then  the  Egyptian,  etc.  The  Egyp- 
tian was  a  notorious  character  in  those  days.  Josephus  mentions  him 
twice.  He  appears  to  have  pretended  to  be  a  sorcerer,  who  also  gave  him- 
self out  as  a  prophet.  He  was  in  reality  a  leader  of  one  of  those  robber 
bands,  which  in  the  disturbed  years  which  preceded  the  great  Jewish 
rebellion,  infested  Judcea  and  the  neighboring  countries.  The  name 
Sicarii  (assassins)  was  derived  from  sica,  a  dagger  or  short  sword  these 
robbers  wore  beneath  their  clothing.  This  could  be  used  in  a  crowd 
with  fatal  effect  without  being  observed.  [These  Assassins  may  be  com- 
pared to  the  Thugs  of  India,  a  secret  society  of  murderers,  who  spread 
terror  throughout  the  country  till  they  were  suppressed  by  Lord  Bent- 
inck  (1830)].  This  Egyptiau,  in  the  reign  of  Nero,  promised  his  fol- 
lowers that  at  his  word  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  would  fall  down,  and 
that  they  should  enter  the  city  over  the  ruins.  Felix,  the  Roman  pro- 
curator, however,  defeated  this  predatory  band  with  signal  success, 
killing  four  hundred  and  taking  two  hundred  prisoners.  Luke  here, 
and  Josephus,  in  each  of  his  two  accounts  of  the  rebellion,  give  dif- 
ferent estimates  of  the  number  of  the  Assassins.  Josephus  speaks  of 
the  number  of  the  Egyptian  foUowei's  as  being  at  first  thirty  thousand. 
His  followers  lost  confidence  gradually  in  their  leader  and  forsook 
him. 

Yer.  39.  I  am  a  Jew,  of  Tarsus  in  Cilicia,  a  citizen  of 
no  mean  city.  If  he  were  indeed  a  citizen  of  Tarsus,  he  would 
have  real  ciaimi  upon  the  Roman  authorities  for  protection.     Tarsus 


326  ACTS  XXI.  [21:  40. 

40  leave  to  speak  unto  the  people.  And  when  he  had 
given  him  leave,  Paul,  standing  on  the  stairs,  beckoned 
with  the  hand  unto  the  peoj^le ;  and  when  there  w^as 
made  a  great  silence,  he  spake  unto  them  in  the  Hebrew 
language,  saying. 

was  not  only  famous  as  a  seat  of  learning,  but  was  the  most  important 
centre  in  that  part  of  the  Roman  empire,  and  possessed  many  privi- 
leges. It  bore  on  its  coins  the  proud  title  of  Metropolis  Autonomos, 
'the  independent  capital  city.' — *Give  me  leave,  etc.  There  is  a 
striking  contrast  between  the  turbulence  and  excitement  of  the  mob 
and  Paul's  calm  and  unruffled  demeanor.  At  Ephesus  he  was  eager  to 
rush  to  the  amphitheater,  with  a  like  purpose  no  doubt,  of  speaking  to 
the  crowd  (19:  30,  31). 

Ver.  40.  When  he  had  given  him  leave.  Paul  had  satis- 
fied the  officer  that  he  was  not  the  dangerous  rebel  whom  he  had  taken 
him  for,  and  assured  him  who  he  was  and  whence  he  came.  Besides 
this,  there  was  evidently  something  in  the  Apostle's  manner  and  bear- 
ing which  gained  respect  and  confidence.  We  have  in  these  Acts 
several  marked  instances  of  this  strange  power  Paul  gained  so  quickly 
over  those  with  whom  he  was  brought  into  contact. — Paul  beckoned 
with  the  hand  unto  the  people,  etc.  *It  was  a  strange  scene 
for  that  feast  of  Pentecost.  The  face  and  form  of  the  speaker  may 
have  been  seen  from  time  to  time  by  some  during  his  passing  visits  to 
Jerusalem,  but  there  must  have  been  many  who  had  not  heard  him 
take  any  part  in  public  action  since  the  day  Avhen,  nearly  a  quarter  of 
a  century  before,  he  had  kept  the  garments  of  those  who  were  stoning 
Stephen ;  and  now  he  was  there,  accused  of  the  self  same  crimes, 
making  his  defence  before  a  crowd  as  wild  and  frenzied  as  that  of 
which  he  had  then  been  the  leader'  (Plumptre). — The  Hebrew 
language.  Which  the  mob  of  Jews  could  understand,  but  most  proba- 
bly the  chief  captain  could  not.  No  doubt  '  the  great  silence,'  the 
hush  which  fell  on  the  angry,  vociferating  crowd,  was  produced  by 
the  sound  of  the  loved  Hebrew  words. 

*  Practical  Notes.— The  best  of  intentions  maj'  be  misunderstood  (ver.  27).  Thoiig:h 
Paul  was  bent  on  conciliating  the  Jewish  brethren,  he  was  dragg  d  by  the  Jews  out  of 
the  Temple,  and  would  have  been  beaten  to  death  but  for  the  interference  of  the  Roman 
colonel. — The  servant  must  not  expect  better  treatment  than  his  master  (ver.  36).  Jesus 
liad,  before  Paul,  been  cried  down  and  crucified  by  an  angry  mob  at  Jerusalem. — The 
very  power  which  the  Jews  chafed  under,  often  protected  the  early  Christians.  The 
Roman  soldiers  appeared  just  in  time  to  prevent  Paul  from  being  killed.  The  colonel 
thought  he  was  a  popular  agitator,  but  agitator  or  not  Roman  law  would  protect  him 
from  popular  violence,  and  give  the  prisoner  an  opportunity  to  plead  his  cause.  So 
man  proposes,  but  God  disposes. — No  man  has  so  good  a  right  to  be  calm  in  storms  at 
sea,  or  in  the  midst  of  popular  tumults  as  the  Christian  (ver.  39).  He  has  a  sure  defence 
and  guardian  in  God.    Not  a  sparrow  can  fall  to  the  ground  without  Hifi  knowledge. 


22:  1-3.]  ACTS  XXII.  327 

Chapter  22:  1-21. 

PauVs  Speech  to  the  Jewish  Mob. 

22 :   1     Brethren  and  fathers,  hear  ye  the  defence  which 
I  now  make  unto  you. 

2  And  when  they  lieard  that  he  spake  unto  them  in 
the  Hebrew  language,  they  were  the  more  quiet :  and 
he  saith, 

3  I  am  a  Jew,  born  in  Tarsus  of  Cilicia,  but  brought 

Paul's  Speech  to  the  Jewish  Mob,  vers.  1-21. 

Ver.  1.  Brethren  and  fathers.  The  opening  words  are  the 
same  as  those  used  by  Stephen  in  his  speech  before  the  Sanhedrin 
(Chap.  7:2).  The  expression  'fathers'  indicates  the  presence  of  some 
of  the  more  prominent  men  of  Jerusalem  members,  perhaps,  of  the 
Sanhedrin.  The  subject  matter  of  Paul's  speech,  his  conversion,  was 
narrated  in  ch.  9,  but  Mr,  Humphry  happily  touches  on  its  charac- 
teristic features  :  '  Though  the  subject-matter  of  this  speech  has 
been  related  before,  it  assumes  here  a  fresh  interest  from  the  man- 
ner in  which  it  is  adapted  to  the  occasion  and  to  the  audience. 
The  Apostle  is  suspected  of  disaffection  to  the  Law.  In  order  to  refute 
this  charge,  he  addresses  them  in  Hebrew  ;  he  dwells  on  his  Jewish 
education,  and  on  his  early  zeal  for  the  Law  ;  he  shows  how  at  his 
conversion  he  was  guided  by  Ananias,  a  man  devout  according  to  the 
Law,  and  of  good  report  among  the  Jews  at  Damascus,  and  how  he 
subsequently  worshipped  in  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem.  So  far  they 
listen  to  him  ;  but  he  no  sooner  touches  on  the  promulgation  of  the 
Gospel  among  the  heathen  (ver.  21),  than  he  is  interrupted,  and  his 
fate  would  probably  have  been  the  same  as  Stephen's,  had  he  not  been 
under  the  protection  of  the  Roman  captain.' 

Ver.  2.  He  spake.  Paul's  speech  :  1.  Vers.  3-8  treat  of  his  early 
life,  and  roughly  sketch  his  history  up  to  the  day  when  the  heavenly 
vision  on  the  way  to  Damascus  changed  the  whole  current  of  his  ex- 
istence ;  2.  Vers.  9-16  relate  in  detail  what  took  place  in  the  days 
immediately  following  this  divine  vision;  3.  Vers.  17-21  describe  his 
mission  to  the  Gentiles.  *  Canon  Farrar  says  the  object  Paul  had  in 
giving  the  account  of  his  conversion  was  to  show  that  he  could  sympa- 
thize with  the  mob  in  their  outburst  of  zeal,  because  he  had  himself 
once  shared  their  state  of  mind,  and  nothing  short  of  a  divine  revela- 
tion had  altered  the  coux'se  of  his  religion  and  life. 

Ver.  3.  I  am  a  Jew.  He  stai'ts  with  a  statement  calculated  to 
allay  the  suspicions  of  those  who  were  infuriated  against  him,  without 
knowing  anything  really  of  his  story.— Brought  np  in  this  city,  at 
the  feet  of  GamalieL  *  In  our  Holy  City  I  received  my  education. 
My  master  was  none  other  than  the  Rabbi  Gamaliel.     In  those  days  I 


328  ACTS  XXII.  [22 :  4, 5. 

up  in  this  city,  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel,  instructed  ac- 
cording to  the  strict  manner  of  the  law  of  our  fathers, 
being  zealous  for  God,  even  as  ye  all  are  this  day : 

4  and  I  persecuted  this  Way  unto  the  death,  binding 
and  delivering  into   prisons    both  men  and  women. 

5  As  also  the  high  priest  doth  bear  me  witness,  and  all 
the  estate  of  the  elders :  from  whom  also  I  received 
letters  unto  the  brethren,  and  journeyed  to  Damascus, 

was  trained  by  that  great  master  as  a  Pharisee,  to  love  and  to  practice 
all  the  strictness  of  our  Law.'  The  expression,  '  at  the  feet  of  Gama- 
liel,' is  strictly  accurate.  The  pupils  in  Jewish  schools  sat  around 
their  teacher  on  low  benches. — According  to  the  strict  manner 
of  the  law  of  our  fathers.  In  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians  (1 :  14) 
he  speaks  of  his  pre-eminence  in  those  far- back  days  in  all  this  learn- 
ing, and  how  none  of  his  fellow-students  were  able  to  compete  with 
him  in  knowledge  of  the  Law  and  fervent  zeal  for  the  sacred  traditions 
of  the  fathei-s.  In  the  account  of  his  conversion,  before  Agrippa,  Paul 
speaks  of  having  lived  a  Pharisee  after  the  straitest  sect  of  his  religion 
(Acts  26:  5). 

Ver.  4.  *I  persecuted  this  "Way  unto  the  death.  This  was 
the  evidence  of  his  zeal  towards  God.  'The  Way'  was  a  colloquial 
term  for  the  Christian  religion  (Acts  9  :  2  ;  19  :  23).  It  was  pre-emi- 
nently the  way  of  life.  The  expression  '  unto  the  death '  indicates  the 
intensity  of  Paul's  feelings.  His  persecution  was  as  severe  and  terrible 
as  he  could  make  it. 

Ver.  5.  The  high  priest  doth  bear  me  witness.  The  high 
priest  in  question  was  not  the  person  holding  that  office  at  the  present 
juncture,  but  the  one  who  at  the  time  of  the  Damascus  Mission,  a.  d. 
37,  was  in  possession  of  the  office,  and  gave  Paul  his  credentials  as 
inquisitor.  The  high  priest  at  this  period,  a.  d.  58,  was  Ananias.  (Acts 
23:  2.) — The  estate  of  the  elders.  Probably  the  Sanhedrin,  the 
highest  council  of  the  Jews,  consisting  of  seventy  members.  There 
were  many,  probably,  in  that  venerable  body  who  remembered  well  the 
young  Pharisee,  '  the  zealot  Saul,'  and  the  brilliant  promise  he  once 
gave  of  becoming  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  the  Pharisee  party. — 
Letters  unto  the  brethren.  That  is,  to  the  synagogues  in  Damas- 
cus. He  uses  the  term  'brethren'  to  show  how,  now  as  then,  he  re- 
garded his  fellow-countrymen  the  Jews.  It  is  also  noticeable  that  the 
term  '  brethren '  was  used  by  the  Jews  first,  and  that,  like  so  much  else 
that  belonged  to  the  synagogue  and  its  life,  the  expression  passed  to 
the  Christians,  and  became  among  the  members  of  the  Church  a  house- 
hold word.  Paul  was  armed  on  that  occasion  with  letters  from  the 
Sanhedrin.  from  whose  decisions  in  ecclesiastical  aflfairs  there  was  no 
appeal. — For  to  be  punished.  By  imprisonment,  scourging,  and, 
as  in  the  case  of  Stephen,  by  a  cruel  death. 


22:  6-11.]  ACTS  XXII.  329 

to  bring  them  also  which  were  there  unto  Jerusalem 

6  in  bonds,  for  to  be  punished.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
that,  as  I  made  my  journey,  and  drew  nigh  unto 
Damascus,  about   noon,  suddenly  there  shone   from 

7  heaven  a  great  light  round  about  me.  And  I  fell 
unto  the  ground,  and  heard  a  voice  saying  unto  me, 

8  Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me?  And  I  answered, 
Who  art   thou.  Lord?   And   he  said  unto  me,  I  am 

9  Jesus  of  IS'azareth,  whom  thou  persecutest.  And  they 
that  were  with  me  beheld  indeed  the  light,  but   they 

10  heard  not  the  voice  of  him  that  spake  to  me.  And  I 
said,  What  shall  I  do.  Lord?  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
me.  Arise,  and  go  into  Damascus ;  and  there  it  shall 
be  told  thee  of  all  things  which  are  appointed  for  thee 

11  to  do.  And  when  I  could  not  see  for  the  glory  of  that 
light,  being  led  by  the  hand  of  them  that  were  with 

Ver.  6.  It  came  to  pass.  On  the  various  incidents  of  the  con- 
version of  Paul,  see  notes  on  chap.  9:  3-19.  Any  additional  facts 
mentioned  in  this  narration  of  the  same  events  will  be  noticed  here. — 
About  noon.  This  note  of  time  does  not  appear  in  the  former  ac- 
count. A  light  which  could  compel  attention  at  such  an  hour  in  the 
full  glare  of  an  Eastern  sun,  must  be  regarded  at  once  as  something 
out  of  the  ordinary  course  of  nature. 

Ver.  8.  I  am  Jesus  of  Nazateth,  whom  thou  persecutest. 
This  title  of  the  Lord  is  peculiar  to  this  account  of  the  conversion.  It 
seems  probable  that  the  followers  of  the  Crucified,  were  called  '  Naza- 
renes,  and  the  inquisitor  was  arrested  in  his  work  by  One  from  heaven 
calling  himself 'The  Nazarene.' 

Ver.  9.  They  heard  not  the  voice  of  him  that  spake  to  me. 
In  ch.  9:  7  it  is  stated  that  they  heard  the  voice.  Dr.  J.  A.  Alexander 
well  explains  this  apparent  difference  :  '  There  is  a  distinction  between 
hearing  a  voice  speak  and  hearing  what  it  says,  as  no'hing  is  more 
common  in  our  public  bodies  than  the  complaint  that  the  speaker  is 
not  heard,  i.  e.  that  his  words  are  not  distinguished,  though  his  voice 
may  be  audible  and  even  loud.  It  might  be  said  with  equal  truth,  that 
Paul's  companions  heard  the  voice,  i.  e.  knew  that  it  was  speaking,  and 
that  they  did  not  hear  it,  i.  e.  did  not  know  what  it  said.'  See  John  12: 
29,  where  a  similar  confusion  seems  to  have  occurred  in  the  listeners' 
minds.  Here  as  there,  the  divine  voice  to  the  ordinary  bystander  was 
a  voice,  but  not  one  uttering  articulate  words. 

Ver.  11.  I  could  not  see  for  the  glory  of  that  ligh^.  In 
the  narrative  of  chap.  9 :  8,  we  are  simply  told  Saul  was  blinded.     He 


330  ACTS  XXII.  [16:  12-15. 

12  me,  I  came  into  Damascus.  And  one  Ananias,  a  de- 
vout man  according  to  the  law,  well  reported  of  by  all 

13  the  Jews  that  dwelt  there,  came  unto  me,  and  standing 
by  me  said  unto  me,  Brother  Saul,  receive  thy  sight. 

14  And  in  that  very  hour  I  ^  looked  up  on  him.  And  he 
said.  The  God  of  our  fathers  hath  appointed  thee  to 
know  his  will,  and  to  see  the  Righteous  One,  and  to 

15  hear  a  voice  from  his  mouth.  For  thou  shalt  be  a 
witness  for  him  unto  all  men  of  what  thou  hast  seen 

1  Or,  received  my  sight  and  looked  up<jn  him. 

gives  us  here  the  reason  for  that  blindness.  His  eyes  were  dazzled  by 
the  blinding  glory  of  that  light  which  was  *  above  the  brightness  of 
the  sun.' 

Ver.  12.  Ananias,  a  devout  man  according  to  the  law. 
In  the  account  of  chap.  9:  10,  Ananias  is  merely  mentioned  as  '  a  dis- 
ciple' of  Jesus  ;  here,  however,  we  have  a  detailed  description  of  him. 
Such  a  one  as  Paul  describes,  a  man  devout  according  to  the  Law,  and 
esteemed  among  the  Jews,  would  surely  not  have  visited  and  received 
into  friendship  a  blasphemer  and  an  enemy  of  the  Law — would  never, 
save  on  ve.nj  weighty  evidence,  have  accepted  Saul  the  persecutor  as  a 
brother-disciple. 

Ver.  13.  That  very  hour  I  looked  upon  him.  That  is  to  say, 
Ananias  stood  before  the  stricken  Saul,  and  spoke  as  he  was  com- 
manded the  healing  woi^ds  of  power;  then  Saul  turned  his  blinded 
eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  voice  which  spoke  to  him,  and  the  sight 
came  back,  and  he  looked  upon  Ananias.  Meyer  says,  we  must  think 
of  Paul  sitting  down  with  Ananias  standing  before  him. 

Ver.  14.  The  God  of  our  fathers.  Another  appeal  to  Jewish 
thought.  Paul  here  uses  the  same  expression  that  Stephen  used 
twenty-five  years  before,  when  pleading  before  the  Sanhedrin. — To 
see  the  Righteous  One.  We  are  here  distinctly  told  by  Ananias 
wliat  hardly  appears  from  Luke's  account  of  the  vision,  or  from  either 
of  Paul's  own  recitals,  how  Paul  gazed  on  the  divine  form  of  Christ.  Was 
it  not  to  this  appearance  of  the  Risen  One  that  he  refers  when  he 
writes:  'Am  I  not  an  apostle?  .  .  .  have  I  not  seen  Jesus  our  Lord?' 
(1  Cor.  9:  1) :  and  'Last  of  all,  as  unto  one  born  out  of  due  time,  he 
appeared  to  me  also'  (1  Cor.  15:  8).  '  The  Righteous  One'  is  another 
expression  which  Stephen  used  (Acts  7:  52).  There  are  exnmples  of 
its  application  in  1  .lohn  2:  1  and  Jas.  5:  6.  The  memorable  use  of 
this  name  by  Pilate's  wife  (Matt.  27:  19)  may  have  helped  to  give 
prominence  to  it.  He  wlio  had  been  condemned  as  a  malefactor  was 
emphatically  the  '  Righteous  One.' 

Ver.  15.  Thou  shalt  be  a  v.'itness  for  him.  In  Acts  9:  15, 
the  Gentiles  are  especially  mentioned  by  name  in  the  colloquy  between 


22:  16-19.]  AOTS  XXII.  331 

16  and  heard.  And  now  why  tarriest  thou  ?  arise,  and 
be  baptized,  and  wash  away  thy  sins,  calling  on  his 

17  name.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  when  I  had  returned 
to  Jerusalem,  and  while  I  prayed  in  the  temple,  I  fell 

18  into  a  trance,  and  saw  him  saying  unto  me.  Make 
haste,  and  get  thee  quickly  out  of  Jerusalem :  because 
they  will  not  receive  of  thee  testimony  concerning  me. 

19  And  I  said.  Lord,  they  themselves  know  that  I  impris- 
oned and  beat  in  every  synagogue  them  that  believed 

Ananias  and  the  Lord,  who  spoke  to  him  in  a  vision :  *  He  is  a  chosen 
vessel  unto  me,  to  bear  my  name  before  the  Gentiles.'  Here  speaking 
to  the  angry  and  jealous  Jewish  ci'owd,  the  expression  'the  Gentiles' 
is  omitted  to  avoid  oflfence. 

Yer,  10.  *  Wash  a'wray  thy  sins.  This  expression  corresponds 
to  Acts  2:  38:  'Be  baptized  unto  the  remission  of  your  sins.'  Bap- 
tism presupposes  repentance,  and  he  who  repents  and  believes  has  the 
promise  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins. —  Calling  on  his  name.  The 
name  of  Jesus,  of  whom  mention  has  been  made  before,  ver.  14,  and 
immediately  after,  vers.  18-21.  The  Church  of  the  first  days  directly 
invoked  our  Lord  and  Redeemer  (See  Acts  1 :  24). 

Ver.  17.  "When  I  had  returned  to  Jerusalem.  After  his  con- 
version and  meeting  with  Ananias,  he  did  not  return  to  Jerusalem, 
but  after  a  short  interval  went  into  Arabia  (Gal.  1:  17) — a  period 
spent  probably  for  the  most  part  in  preparation  for  his  great  work. 
Subsequently,  when  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem,  he  received  the  positive 
direction  which  determined  him  to  devote  himself  to  preaching  the 
cross  of  Christ  among  the  Gentiles. — I  prayed  in  the  temple. 
Paul  dwells  especially  on  this  fact.  He  would  show  the  people  who 
charged  him  with  being  a  traitor  to  the  chosen  race,  that  his  becoming 
a  Christian  had  neither  made  him  forget  Jerusalem  nor  the  glorious 
house  on  Mount  Zion. — I  fell  into  a  trance.  Or,  ecstasy,  like  that 
into  which  Peter  fell  on  the  house-top  at  Joppa  (Acts  11:5).  In  2 
Cor.  12 :  3,  Paul  speaks  of  being  unable  to  tell  whether  he  was  in  the 
body  or  out  of  the  body,  when  he  was  caught  up  into  Paradise,  and 
heard  unspeakable  words,  which  it  was  not  lawful  to  utter.  See,  too, 
the  vision  of  John,  Rev.  1 :  10.  There  is  no  probability  thai  this  vision 
in  the  Temple  was  identical  with  the  vision  of  heaven  above  referred 
to  in  2  Cor.  12:  3.  Here  a  direct  and  positive  command  was  given 
him.     Paul  had  other  similar  revelations  in  the  course  of  his  life. 

Ver.  19.  *Lord,  they  themselves  knov7  that  I  imprisoned 
and  beat  in  every  synagogue,  etc.  These  words  have  been 
looked  upon  as  expressing  Paul's  disinclination  to  leave  the  city,  as 
Christ  had  commanded  him  (Bengel,  Mey^r,  Plumptre).  He  desired 
to  make  some  amends  for  his  persecuting  activity  and  the  part  he  had 


332  ACTS  XXII.  [22:  20-21. 

20  on  thee :  and  when  the  blood  of  Stephen  thy  witness 
was  shed,  I  also  was  standing  by,  and  consenting,  and 

21  keeping  the  garments  of  them  that  slew  him.  And  he 
said  unto  me,  Depart :  for  I  will  send  thee  forth  far 
hence  unto  the  Gentiles. 

taken  in  Stephen's  execution.  He  felt,  perhaps,  that  his  words  and 
testimony  might  convince  some  of  his  rigid  fellow-Pharisees  and  old 
companions.  They  have  also  been  regarded  as  meaning  the  very  op- 
posite, namely,  Paul's  consent  to  Christ's  command  and  readiness  to 
leave  the  city  (Ewald).  This  view  supposes  that  he  felt  his  presence 
in  Jerusalem  at  that  time  of  excitement  would  only  arouse  a  storm  of 
passion  against  him,  whilst  his  testimony  would  win  no  converts.  The 
former  is  the  best  explanation. 

Ver.  20.  The  blood  of  Stephen  thy  witness.  The  Greek 
word  fidpTvp  (ivitness)  came  to  have  the  specific  meaning  of  'martyr,' 
as  is  traceable  in  such  passages  as  this  and  Rev.  2:  13  ;  11 :  3  ;  17:6. 
In  the  last  passage  the  word  is  translated  martyr :  *  the  blood  of  the 
martyrs  of  Jesus.'  The  word  before  the  close  of  the  first  century  had 
begun  to  acquire  the  special  Christian  sense  which  in  the  second  was 
so  well  known.  Eusebius  tells  us,  for  instance  (JI.  E.,  v.  2),  how  the 
martyrs  of  Lyons  (second  century)  positively  refused  the  title  '  mar- 
tyrs,' considering  it  appropriate  only  to  Chi'ist :  '  If  any  of  us,  either 
by  letter  or  conversation,  called  them  martyrs,  they  gravely  reproved 
us,  for  they  gladly  gave  up  the  title  of  martyr  to  Christ — the  true  and 
faithful  martyr,  the  first  begotten  of  the  dead,' 

Ver.  21.  I  will  send  thee  forth  far  hence  unto  the  Gen- 
tiles. He  thus  traces  step  by  step  how  he  was  led  by  the  expressed 
will  of  God  to  adopt  the  cause  which  he  once  persecuted  ;  how  he  was 
shown  that  his  life's  work  lay  not  with  his  own  people,  but  with  the 
nations  without  the  narrow  pale  of  Israel.  '  The  object  of  Paul  in  re- 
lating this  vision  appears  to  have  been  to  show  that  his  own  inclination 
and  prayer  had  been,  that  he  might  preach  the  Gospel  to  his  own  people ; 
but  that  it  was  by  the  imperative  command  of  the  Lord  himself  that  he 
went  to  the  Gentiles  '  (Alford).  The  utterance  of  this  word  Gentiles, 
and  much  more  the  whole  thought  that  Paul  had  received  such  a  reve- 
lation in  the  temple  excited  the  indignation  of  the  mob  to  the  highest 
pitch.  Paul  was  silenced  by  the  wild  and  angry  cries.  He  perhaps 
would  have  continued  his  address  by  rehearsing  the  blessings  of  God 
upon  his  labors  among  the  Gentile  nations.  But  this  bold  assertion 
that  he  had  been  sent  to  the  Gentiles  they  could  not  endure. 

•Practical  Notes. — Christian  experience  is  the  best  argument  against  infidel  objec- 
tions to  Christianity.  Paul  answered  the  clamorous  Jews,  who  thought  they  interpreted 
the  revelations  of  the  Old  Testament  properly,  with  the  revelations  of  God  t<i  himself 
in  his  conversion  on  the  way  to  Damascus  (v.  5),  and  in  the  Temple  (v.  18  sqq).  One 
person  who  can  speak  of  the  enlightening  and  sustaining  j)ower  of  Christianity  upon 


22:  24-28.]  ACTS  XXII.  333 

Chapter   22:  22-29.    . 

Paul  pleads  his  Roman  Citizenship  to  escape  Scourging. 

22  And  they  gave  him  audience  unto  this  word ;  and 
they  lifted  up  their  voice,  and  said,  Away  with  such  a 
fellow  from  the  earth  :  for  it  is  not  fit  that  he  should 

23  live.     And  as  they  cried  out,  and  threw  oi3f  their  gar- 

his  heart  and  life  may  accomplish  more  by  his  testimony  than  many  philosophical 
arguments  can  effect— A  rtincere  and  repentant  believer  is  anxious  to  know  and  do  the 
will  of  the  Lord  (ver  10).  He  humbly  and  confidently  looks  up  to  Christ  as  his  Savior 
and  his  leader,  whose  word  is  law.— The  light  of  heaven  (ver.  11)  is  dazzling  to  the 
natural  eye.  The  natural  man  cannot  appreciate  the  light  shining  from  Christ,  nor 
his  spiritual  eye  remain  open  in  the  sight  of  the  glory  of  God.  Christians  must  go 
through  preparatory  stages  of  grace  to  enable  them  to  behold  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
with  enjoyment  and  unblinded  vision.  —  A  Christian's  retrospect  over  his  past 
life  (Paul  had  been  for  twenty-five  yeavs  a  Christian),  includes  a  penitent  confession 
of  his  sins  (ver.  3,  7),  a  grateful  remembrance  of  Chri-tian  helpers  and  friends,  (or  a 
mjther  and  father),  and  their  counsels  (v.  12  »qq) ;  the  acknowledgment  of  new  light 
ard  new  purpose  (ver.  fi,  10\  and  a  joyful  recognition  that  to  God  belongs  all  the  glory 
of  our  salvation. — God's  counsels  are  wiser  than  men  (ver.  20,  21).  He  chose  the  most 
zealous  of  the  Jews,  and  one  who  had  consented  to  Stephen's  death,  for  the  great 
Apostle.  Paul's  great  talents  made  him  of  vast  service  when  trained  by  grace,  and  hie 
heart  rem  lined  always  in  a  state  of  humble  dependence  for  his  great  salvation. — For 
further  practical  notes  see  ch.  9  :  p.  117. 

Paul  pleads  his  Roman  Citizenship  to  escape  Scourging,  vers.  22-29. 

Ver.  22.  They  g=ive  him  audience  unto  this  word.  'This 
word'  does  no^  refer  to  the  expression  'the  Gentiles,'  but  to  the  whole 
of  the  last  part  of  Paul's  discourse,  in  which  he  explained  that  his 
mission  to  the  Gentiles  was  by  divine  command.  This,  to  the  fanatic 
Jew,  was  a  startling  statement.  Could  it  be  true  that  the  long-ex- 
pected Messiah,  in  their  own  proud  House  in  Jerusalem,  spoke  to  this 
man,  and  commanded  him  to  devote  himself  solely  to  the  uncircumcised 
Gentiles  ?  Was  not  such  an  assertion  of  itself  rank  blasphemy  ? 
'  The  Gentile  people  of  the  earth  cannot  be  said  really  to  live,'  was 
one  of  the  maxims  of  the  children  of  Israel ;  and  were  these  races  to 
be  told  that  they  stood  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  favored  descend- 
ants of  Abraham  ? 

Ver.  23.  They  cried  out,  and  threw  off  their  garments, 
etc.  The  cries  were  ejaculations  of  rage  and  indignation.  The  throw- 
ing off  their  clothes  was  not,  as  some  have  supposed,  a  preparation  for 
the  stoning  of  the  blasphemer,  as  in  the  case  of  Stephen.  There  could 
have  been  no  idea  of  stoning  now,  for  Paul  was  in  the  custody  of  the 
Roman  authority.  The  tearing  off  the  garments  was  like  the  act  of 
throwing  dust  into  the  air,  an  Oriental  way  of  giving  an  outward  ex- 


334  ACTS  XXII.  [22:  22-23. 

24  ments,  and  .cast  dust  into  the  air,  the  chief  captain 
commanded  him  to  be  brought  into  the  castle,  bidding 
that  he  should  be  examined  by  scourging,  that  he 
might  know  for  what  cause  they  so  shouted  against 

25  him.  And  when  they  had  tied  him  up  Svith  the 
thongs,  Paul  said  unto  the  centurion  that  stood  by.  Is 
it  lawful  for  you  to  scourge  a  man  that  is  a  Roman, 

26  and  uncondemned  ?  And  when  the  centurion  heard  it, 
he  went  to  the  chief  captain,  and  told  him,  saying. 
What  art  thou  about  to  do  ?  for  this  man  is  a  Roman. 

27  And  the  chief  captain  came,  and  said  unto  him,  Tell 

28  me,  art  thou  a  Roman  ?  And  he  said.  Yea.     And  the 

1  Or,  for. 

pression  of  uncontrollable  rage.  These  acts,  which  proclaimed  the 
bitter  indignation  of  the  brethren  and  fathers  who  were  standing  near 
enough  to  hear  Paul's  words,  were  well  calculated  to  inflame  the  popu- 
lace, who  were  doubtless  crowding  into  the  Temple  area. 

Ver.  24.  Examined  by  scout ging,  etc.  When  Claudius 
Lysias,  the  Roman  officer,  saw  the  frenzy  of  the  people,  he  began  to 
suspect  that  there  was  something  more  than  ordinarily  dangerous  in 
the  prisoner.  In  those  stormy  and  turbulent  days  which  immediately 
preceded  the  final  outbreak  of  the  Jews,  every  Roman  oflBcial  in  au- 
thority felt  the  danger  and  responsibility  of  his  position ;  so  at  once 
he  determined  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  this  mysterious  matter,  and  or- 
dered the  prisoner  to  be  tortured  with  the  terrible  scourge.  This 
punishment  was  carried  out  by  lictors,  and  was  usually  inflicted  by 
rods  on  the  bare  back  of  the  offender  as  he  bent  over. 

Ver.  25.  They  had  tied  him  up  with  the  thongs.  The  Apostle 
was  bound  to  a  post  or  pillar  liy  straps,  in  order  to  be  in  a  suitable 
position  to  receive  the  torture. — Is  it  lawful  for  you  to  scourge 
a  man  that  is  a  Roman,  etc.  Once  before  at  Philippi,  Paul  had 
put  forth  this  plea  of  Roman  citizenship  (see  notes  on  16:  37,  38). 
It  was  a  grave  crime,  as  Claudius  Lysias  well  knew,  to  scourge  a 
Roman  citizen.  The  claim  of  Roman  citizenship  was  instantly  allowed, 
There  was  no  fear  of  imposture  in  such  a  case  :  the  assertion,  if  false, 
was  punishable  with  death.  Perhaps  Paul  had  papers  and  abundant 
references  in  the  city  by  which  he  was  ready  to  have  made  good  his 
claim  to  the  citizenship. 

Ver.  27.  Art  thou  a  Rom^n  ?  The  haughty  officer,  proud  of 
his  nationality,  could  scarcely  believe  that  the  accused  Jew  before  him 
was  a  citizen  of  Rome.  The  pronoun  is  very  emphatic :  '  Thou — art 
thou  a  Roman  ?  ' 

Ver.  28.     With  a  great  sum  obtained  I  this  citizenship. 


22:  '29.]  ACTS  XXII.  835 

chief  captain  answered,  With  a  great  sum  obtained  I 

this  citizenship.     And  Paul  said,  But  I  am  a  Roman 

29  born.     They  then  which  were  about  to  examine  him 

straightway  departed  from  him  :  and  the  chief  caj^tain 

The  word,  as  Plumptre  well  remarks,  expresses  the  transition  from 
the  jjosition  of  an  alien  to  that  of  a  citizen.  The  power  of  granting  the 
privilege  of  citizenship  now  rested  solely  with  the  reigning  emperor 
as  holding  the  office  of  censor.  It  was  by  no  means  uncommon  for 
persons  of  wealth  and  position  to  purchase  it,  and  it  appears  that  many 
of  the  Asian  Jews  had  thus  acquired  the  right  to  style  themselves  citi- 
zens of  Rome.  Under  the  first  Caesars  the  freedom  of  Rome  was  ob- 
tained with  great  difficulty,  and  cost  a  large  sum ;  but  in  the  latter 
days  of  Claudius  these  prized  rights  were  freely  sold  by  his  wicked 
favorite  Messalina. — I  am  a  Romau  born.  It  has  been  asked 
how  Paul  obtained  this  citizenship  ;  for  Tarsus,  the  city  of  his  birth, 
although  possessing  many  important  privileges,  was  a  metropolis  and 
a  free  city,  and  did  not  confer  the  rights  of  the  Roman  citizenship 
upon  its  citizens.  It  was  neither  a  'Colonia'  nor  a  '  Municipium.' 
It  must  have  been  from  his  father  or  from  some  other  ancestor  that 
he  inherited  it,  either  as  a  reward  for  services  done  to  Rome,  or  else  by 
purchase. 

Ver.  29.  They  then  "which  were  about  to  examine  him. 
Those  soldiers  who  with  the  centurion  were  about  to  carry  the  sentence 
of  scourging  into  execution.  It  is  noticeable  how  the  word  rendered 
examine  had  acquired  the  sense  of  'examining  by  torture.' — The 
chief  captain  also  was  afraid,  when  he,  etc.  The  old  magi- 
cal power  of  the  words  Civis  Romanus  sum,  *  I  am  a  Roman  citizen,' 
was  by  no  means  gone  when  Paul  spoke  to  the  soldiers  of  the  tower  of 
Antonia.  Although  the  rules  which  once  forbade  torture  to  be  applied 
to  a  citizen  of  Rome  had  been  violated  even  as  early  as  the  time  of 
Tiberius,  still,  we  imagine,  for  a  long  while  provincial  officials  would 
stand  in  awe  of  the  old  and  venerated  name. 

Ver.  30.  Commanded  the  chief  priests  and  all  the  council, 
etc.  This  was  the  Sanhedrin,  the  supreme  Jewish  council,  the  same 
before  which  Stephen  had  been  tried  (Acts  6:  13).  Jewish  tradition  tells 
us  that  twenty-six  years  before  this  time  the  Sanhedrin  ceased  to  hold 
their  meetings  in  the  hall  called  Gazith,  in  the  Temple,  and  adopted  as 
their  council  chamber  a  room  in  the  city.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  this 
removal  was  originally  owing  to  an  authoritative  suggestion  of  the 
Roman  power ;  for  within  that  part  of  the  Temple  area  where  the  hall 
Gazith  was  situated,  the  Romans  as  Gentiles  had  no  access.  As  on 
the  present  occasion,  when  Lysias  brought  in  Paul,  the  representatives 
of  Rome  were  no  doubt  in  the  habit  of  often  insisting  on  being  present 
at  the  deliberations  of  the  council. 

*  Practical  Notes.— Powerful  and  instructive  discourses  often  accomplish  little. 
Some  will  not -be  couvinced  by  argument.    Their  hearts  are  ebut  against  the  truth 


336  ACTS  XXIII.  [23:  1. 

also  was  afraid,  when  he  knew  that  he  was  a  Roman, 
and  because  he  had  bound  him. 
30  But  on  the  morrow,  desiring  to  know  the  certainty, 
wherefore  he  was  accused  of  the  Jews,  he  loosed  him, 
and  commanded  the  chief  priests  and  all  the  council  to 
come  together,  and  brought  Paul  down,  and  set  him 
before  them. 

Chapter  23:  1-10. 

Paid  before  the  Jewish  Council. 

23 :  1     And  Paul,  looking  stedfastly  on  the  council,  said. 
Brethren,  I  have  lived  before  God  in  all  good  con- 

They  do  not  want  to  believe.  Though  Moses  should  rise  from  the  dead,  yet  many 
would  not  be  persuaded. — Man  can  become  fierce  as  the  bmtes — as  '  the  evening 
wolves'  (Hab.  1:  8).  In  the  French  Eevolutlon  this  had  a  terrible  demonstration^ 
Man's  hatred  of  his  brother  expresses  itself  in  fierce  cruelty.  Why  might  the  crowd 
not  have  allowed  Panl  to  preach  on,  if  he  so  chose  ?  They  should  have  refuted  h  m 
by  speech,  and  not  by  angry  and  passionate  clamors  for  his  blood.  How  different  is 
the  spirit  of  Christian  love  which,  like  the  sandal-wood  tree  that  perfumes  the  axe 
which  cuts  it  down,  craves  the  divine  mercy  for  the  hands  that  injure  and  crucify. — 
There  is  a  heavenly  citizenship  (Phil.  3:  20).  He  who  has  it,  has  immunity  from  all 
future  punishment  and  foes,  and  possesses  an  inalienable  birthright  to  the  heavenly 
kingdom  which  outlasts  all  earthly  empires.  It  has  privileges  which  Roman  citizen- 
ship could  not  confer,  yea  never  dreamed  of  (ver.  27).— The  Christian  has  a  right  to  the 
protection  of  the  law.  He  may  not  flee  persecution,  or  even  death,  if  by  enduring 
them  he  can  advance  the  cause  of  his  Redeemer.  But  he  may  invoke  the  arm  of 
justice,  when  by  so  doing  he  can  gain  a  just  cau-e.  Men  wlio  have  been  the  greatest 
blessings  to  the  world  have  often  been  ill-treated  by  their  own  age.  It  was  so  with 
Moses,  Jeremiah,  Paul,  and  with  the  Son  of  Man  himself.  The  doing  of  duty  and  the 
exercise  of  charity  do  not  exempt  a  man  from  calumniators. — A  minority  of  one  in  a 
good  cause  is  better  than  a  multitude  in  a  bad  one. 

Paul  before  the  Jewish  Council,  vers.  1—10. 

Ver.  1.     Paul,  looking  stedfastly  on  the  council.     The  Greek 

word  OLTEVLGaq,  rendered  looking  stedfastly,  is  used  on  more  than  one 
solemn  occasion,  as  of  the  disciples  looking  at  Jesus  ascending  (Acts  1 : 
10),  of  Stephen  looking  into  heaven  (Acts  7:  57),  of  Peter's  'fastening 
liis  eyes  upon'  the  lame  man  (Acts  3:  4),  etc.,  and  describes  a  strained 
earnest  gaze.  Once  more,  after  many  years,  Paul  was  present  at  a 
meeting  of  the  august  Jewish  council,  the  Sanhedrin,  which  had  con- 
demned Stephen,  and  of  which  he  once  was  most  likely  a  member  (Acts 
26:  10),  c^Tto//?/?/ a  confidential  and  trusted  official.  With  fixed  gaze 
he  looked  around  on  the  familiar  scene,  and  on  the  faces,  all  now  look- 


23:  2,  3.]  ACTS  XXIII.  337 

2  science  until  this  clay.  And  the  high  priest  Ananias 
commanded  them  that  stood  by  him  to  smite  him  on 

3  the  mouth.  Then  said  Paul  unto  him,  God  shall  smite 
thee,  thou  whited  wall:  and  sittest  thou  to  judge  me 
according  to  the  law,  and  commandest  me  to  be  smitten 

ing  back  at  him  with  deepest  hate  and  aversion.  He  could  hardly  fail 
to  distinguish  the  high  priest,  seeing  he  noticed  the  several  party 
groups  (ver.  6)  into  Avhich  the  Sanhedrin  was  divided. — *I  have 
lived  before  God  in  all  good  conscience.  This  includes  his 
career  before  as  well  as  after  his  conversion.  His  conduct  before  that 
event  was  sincere,  and  he  had  persecuted  the  Church  '  ignorantly  in 
unbelief  (1  Tim.  1 :  13),  thinking  thereby  to  glorify  God.  Paul  speaks 
also  of  the  'pure  conscience'  (2  Tim.  1 :  8)  with  which  he  had  served 
God,  and  of  a  'good  conscience'  (1  Tim.  1:  5).  After  his  conversion 
he  exercised  himself  to  have  'a  conscience  void  of  offence'  (Acts  24: 
V)),  and  he  glories  in  its  'testimony'  (1  Cor.  1:  12).  He  ascribes  to 
the  heathen  a  conscience  which  bore  witness  to  the  law  (Rom.  2:  15). 
Paul  teaches  that  a  man  must  follow  the  dictates  of  his  conscience,  but 
plainly  demonstrates  that  it  is  by  no  means  an  infallible  guide.  It 
requires  light  from  on  high. 

Ver.  2.  Ananias.  He  was  the  son  of  Xebedreus,  and  was  appointed 
high  priest  by  Herod,  king  of  Chalcis,  in  a.  d.  48,  ten  yeai's  before  Paul 
was  arraigned  before  the  Jewish  council.  While  Cumanus  was  procurator 
of  Judasa,  he  was  arrested  and  sent  to  be  tried  at  Rome,  a.d.  52. 
Ananias  was  acquitted  and  resumed  the  high-priesthood.  He  was 
superseded  by  Ismael,  the  son  of  Phabi,  a.d.  59.  He  then  held  the 
office  of  high  priest  for  eleven  years,  an  unusually  long  period  in  those 
stormy  days  of  intrigue.  He  was  notorious  for  his  cruelty  and  injus- 
tice, and  was  assassinated  by  the  Sicarii  at  last. — To  smite  him  on 
the  mouth.  Enraged  at  his  calling  the  members  of  the  council 
'brethren,'  and  asserting  that  he  had  acted  conscientiously.  A  similar 
insult  was  offered  to  Jesus  when  he  stood  accused  before  the  same 
council,  John  18:  22.  Hackett  quotes  from  Morier's  Second  Journey 
through  Persia,  to  show  that  this- treatment  is  not  uncommon  in  the 
unchanging  East  in  our  own  days.  'As  soon  as  the  ambassadors  came,' 
writes  this  traveller,  'he  punished  the  principal  offenders  by  causing 
them  to  be  beaten  before  them;  and  those  who  had  spoken  their  minds 
too  freely,  he  smote  upon  the  mouth  toith  a  shoe.''  *Plumptre  aptly  com- 
pares Ananias'  treatment  of  Paul  to  the  treatment  of  Baxter  by  the 
infamous  Jeffreys. 

Ver.  3.  God  shall  smite  thee,  thou  whited  wall.  These 
words,  spoken  on  the  spur  of  the  moment  and  in  great  excitement, 
were  not  an  imprecation,  but  a  prediction.  It  was  fulfilled  to  the 
letter,  for  in  the  early  days  of  the  Jewish  Avar,  the  Sicarii  burned 
the  palace  of  Ananias,  and  having  dragged  him  and  his  brother  Heze- 
22 


338  ACTS  XXIII.  [23 :  4,  5. 

4  contrary  to  the  law  ?  And   they  that  stood  by  said, 

5  Revilest  thou  God's  high  priest  ?  And  Paul  said,  I 
wist  not,  brethren,  that  he  Avas  high  priest :  for  it  is 
written,  Thou  shalt  not  speak  evil  of  a  ruler  of  thy 

kiah  from  their  place  of  concealment,  murdered  them  both  (Josephus, 
Bell.  Jud.  2:  17,  9).  The  expression  'whited  wall,'  or  hypocrite,  was 
used  with  a  slight  variation  by  the  Lord  of  the  Pharisees  and  scribes 
(Matt.  23:  27  ;  Luke  11 :  44).  He  who  wore  the  insignia  of  the  high 
priest's  office,  had  little  of  the  true  spirit  of  a  high  priest.  The  Jews 
painted  their  sepulchres  conspicuously  white,  that  they  might  net 
defile  themselves  by  unexpectedly  coming  in  contact  with  them.  Thus 
the  walls  would  be  white  and  fair  seeming  to  the  eye,  while  within, 
they  were  full  of  dead  men's  bones.  This  is  most  probably  the  thought 
contained  in  Paul's  comparison,  although  it  is  possible  the  allusion  was 
simply  to  a  wall  of  clay,  carefully  colored  white  to  imitate  stone.  Paul's 
expression  of  anger  is  not  to  be  commended,  although  his  feelings  of 
indignation  were  natural  and  just.  The  action  of  the  high  priest  was 
grossly  in  violation  of  justice.  Paul  himself  apologized  for  his  words 
when  he  knew  that  it  was  the  high  priest  to  whom  he  had  spoken  (ver.  5). 
We  may  compare  the  conduct  of  the  servant  Paul  with  the  behaviour  of 
the  master  Christ,  when  he  stood  as  a  prisoner  before  these  same  haughty 
judges.  Jerome  passionately  asks,  'Where  is  that  patience  of  the 
Redeemer,  who,  when  he  was  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter, 
opened  not  his  mouth,  but  gently  said  to  the  men  that  struck  him  :  "If 
I  have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of  the  evil ;  but  if  well,  why  smitest 
thou  me?  .  .  .  ."  We  do  not  then  detract  from  the  Apostle;  but  we 
do  proclaim  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  who,  when  he  suffered  in  the  flesh, 
rose  gi^andly  above  all  sense  of  injury  done  to  the  flesh,  rose  above  the 
weakness  of  the  flesh.' — *But  we  must  not  forget  that  Jesus  himself 
manifested  indignation  on  several  occasions  in  his  life,  and  not  merely 
pronounced  the  scathing  'woes'  upon  the  Pharisees  and  hypocrites, 
but  drove  the  money  changers  from  th*^  Temple  (John  2:  12-18). 

Ver.  4.  Revilest  thou  God's  high  priest?  It  was  contrary 
to  the  Law  of  Moses  (Ex.  22:  28)  to  revile  one  placed  in  a  position  of 
authority,  such  as  the  high  priest,  or  any  one  sitting  as  president  of 
the  Sanhedrin  council, — 'the  father  of  the  house  of  judgment,'  as  the 
Talmud  calls  him. 

Ver.  5.  I  wist  not,  brethren,  that  he  was  high  priest. 
Various  interpretations  have  been  made  of  these  words.  (1)  Paul  did 
not  personalljf  know  the  high  priest.  He  had  been  absent — save  on 
his  few  brief  visits — for  so  many  years  from  Jerusalem,  and  the  high 
priest  was  so  frequently  changed,  that  he  did  not  know  this  high  priest 
Ananias  by  sight.  (2)  He  did  not  recognize  that  it  wns  the  high  priest 
who  gave  the  order.  This  failure  to  recognize  him  being  regarded  as 
due  to  the  dimness  of  Paul's  vision,  (oj  He  refused  to  acknowledge 
one  as  high  priest  who  could  transgress  the  Law,  and  treat  a  defence- 


23:  6.]  ACTS  XXIII.  339 

6  people.  But  when  Paul  perceived  that  the  one  part 
were  Sadducees,  and  the  other  Pharisees,  he  cried  out 
in  the  council,  Brethren,  I  am  a  Pharisee,  a  son  of 
Pharisees  :   touching  the  hope  and  resurrection  of  the 

less  prisoner  so  unjustly.  This  interpretation  of  the  words  would  then 
understand  them  as  spoken  ironically.  (4)  The  Apostle  did  not  consider 
that  Ananias  was  the  lawful  high  priest.  He  looked  on  him  only  as 
the  puppet  set  up  by  Rome,  without  any  moral  right  to  the  oifice.  Of 
these  explanations, ^1,  3,  4  are  unsatisfactory.  There  is  more  in  favor  of 
2,  for  Paul  did  suffer  from  a  defect  of  vision  [Canon  Farrar  in  his  Life 
of  Paul  eloquently  advocates  this  view].  But  the  expression  in  ver.  3, 
'sittest  thou  to  judge  me  according  to  the  law,'  is  against  it.  It  is  bet- 
ter to  concede  that  Paul,  recognising  he  was  wrong,  confesses  that 
when  he  uttered  the  angry  words,  he  did  not  consider  that  it  was  the 
high  priest  whom  he  was  addressing.  We  might  paraphrase  Paul's 
words  thus  :  '  I  spoke  the  angry  words  without  reflection.  I  thought 
at  that  moment  of  bitter  indignation  nothing  of  high  priest,  or  presi- 
dent of  the  supreme  council  of  Israel.' 

Ver  6.  Sadducees,  and  the  other  Pharisees.  The  two  princi- 
pal .Jewish  sects.  See  articles  in  Bible  Dictionary.  Brethren,  I  am 
a  Pharisee,  a  son  of  Pharisees  :  touching  the  hope  and  re- 
surrection of  the  dead  I  am  called  in  question.  Paul  thus 
involved  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  in  the  Sanhedrin  in  a  violent 
dispute,  by  starting  a  question  upon  which  these  two  parties  had  been 
bitterly  at  discord.  But  the  question  arises  whether  this  was  a  mere 
stroke  of  policy,  '  a  strategic  act'  on  the  |>art  of  the  Apostle  ;  and  if 
so,  whether  it  was  a  proper  thing  for  liim  to  have  recourse  to.  The 
celebrated  Roman  Catholic  expositor,  Cornelius  a  Lapide,  builds  on 
it  the  famous  maxim,  '  War  against  heretics  is  the  peace  of  the 
Church.'  He  calls  this  the  only  method  of  maintaining  the  unity  of 
the  Church.  Alford's  words  here  are  singularly  happy:  'Surely  no 
defence  of  Paul  for  adopting  this  course  is  required,  but  our  admira- 
tion is  due  to  his  skill  and  presence  of  mind.  Nor  need  we  hesitate  to 
regard  such  skill  as  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise,  that  in  such  an  hour 
the  Spirit  of  Wisdom  should  suggest  words  to  the  accused,  which  the 
accuser  should  not  be  able  to  gainsay.  All  prospect  of  a  fair  trial  was 
hopeless.  He  well  knew,  from  past  and  present  experience,  that  per- 
sonal odium  would  bias  his  judges,  and  violence  prevail  over  justice  :  he 
therefore  uses  in  the  cause  of  truth  the  maxim  so  often  perverted  to  the 
cause  of  falsehood,  divide  et  impera  (divide  and  rule).  Ao;ain  the  question 
arises,  whether  Paul  could  still  truthfully  call  himself  a  Pharisee.  So 
far  as  his  belief  concerning  the  resurrection  went,  he  was  a  Pharisee. 
And  before  his  conversion  he  had  belonged  to  the  Pharisaic  party.  In 
speaking  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  the  Apostle  introduced  one  of 
the  fundamental  facts  whicK  the  early  Christian  teachers  insisted  upon. 
He  took  his  stand  on  the  platform  of  the  Pharisees,  and  invited  them 


340  ACTS  XXIII.  [23 :  7-9. 

7  dead  I  am  called  in  question.     And  when  he  had  so 
said,  there  arose  a  dissension  between  the  Pharisees 

8  and  Sadducees  :  and  the  assembly  was  divided.     For 
the  Sadducees  say  that  there  is  no  resurrection,  neither 

9  angel,  nor  spirit :  but  the  Pharisees  confess  both.    And 

to  observe  that  he  had  been  preaching  a  doctrine  which  they  had  ad- 
vocated very  strenuously.  ^Paul's  appeal  to  the  Pharisees  at  once  pro- 
voked the  envious  spirit  of  faction  in  the  council.  The  suggestion  of 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead  fell  like  an  apple  of  discord  in  the  as- 
sembly. If  this  appeal  was  indeed  a  '  strategic  stroke '  of  great  skill, 
as  has  been  suggested,  it  is  certain  from  what  follows  that  it  did  not 
exempt  Paul  from  extreme  peril  from  the  fury  of  the  councillors.  He 
was  in  danger  of  being  torn  to  pieces.  Another  explanation  of  Paul's 
course  is  possible,  and  seems  to  be  nearest  the  truth,  Paul  was  deeply 
incensed  at  the  conduct  of  the  high  priest,  and  in  spite  of  his  apology 
still  burned  with  indignation  at  the  indignity  put  upon  him.  Ananias 
was  a  Sadducee,  as  we  have  every  reason  to  suppose  from  the  affilia- 
tions of  his  immediate  predecessors.  This  party  was  aristocratic  in 
feeling,  and  compromising  towards  the  revelation  of  the  0.  T.  Paul 
could  feel  that  the  Pharisees  were  sincere  in  their  unbelief,  just 
as  he  himself  had  been,  but  he  saw  in  the  Sadducees  the  attitude  of 
cold  disdain,  or  politic  worldliness.  In  this  state  of  mind  he  appealed 
to  the  Pharisees,  as  the  religious  section  of  the  council,  desiring  to  put 
himself  in  sympathy  with  them,  as  the  only  ones  who  under  any 
circumstances  could  be  aifected  by  a  plea  on  the  subject  of  religion. 
The  way  in  which  Paul  refers  to  this  common  belief  in  a  defence  of 
his  conduct  at  a  later  time  is  noticeable  (Acts  24  :  15), 

Ver  7.  There  arose  a  dissension.  The  eflFect  of  Paul's  words 
was  to  suggest  to  the  Pharisees  that,  after  all,  the  chief  doctrines 
taught  by  him  and  his  fellow-believers  were  much  more  akin  to  their 
own  school  of  teachings  than  were  the  doctrines  of  their  rivals  the 
Sadducees.  It  would  surely  never  do,  thought  the  Pharisee  leaders 
to  unite  with  the  Sadducees  here,  and  put  to  death  one  who  really  is 
helping  us,  and  doing  our  work  in  opposition  to  those  hateful  unbe- 
lieving Sadducees. 

Ver  8.  The  Sadducees  say  there  is  no  resurrection,  neither 
angel,  nor  spirit,  etc.  The  strict  accuracy  of  this  description  is 
borne  witness  to  by  Josephus,  who  tells  us  that  '  The  Sadducees  reject 
the  existence  of  the  soul  after  death,  and  the  rewards  and  punishments 
of  an  invisible  world  :  '  and  that  *  The  Sadducees  hold  that  the  souls 
of  men  pei-ish  with  their  bodies.'  Of  the  Pharis  es'  opinion  he  says  : 
'  The  souls  of  men  have  an  immortal  strength,  and  are  destined  to  be 
rewarded  or  punished  in  another  state  according  to  the  life  here,  as  it 
has  been  one  of  virtue  or  vice.' 

Ver.  9.  Some  of  the  scribes  of  the  Pharisees'  part.  As  a 
rule,  the  scribes  belonged  to  the  sect  of  Pharisees,  as  that  pai'ty  reve- 


23:  10.]  ACTS  XXIII.  341 

there  arose  a  great  clamour :  and  some  of  the  scribes  of 
the  Pharisees'  part  stood  up,  aud  strove,  saving,  AA'e 
find  no  evil  in  this  man :  and  what  if  a  spirit  hath 
10  spoken  to  him,  or  an  angel  ?  And  when  there  arose  a 
great  dissension,  the  chief  captain,  fearing  lest  Paul 
should  be  torn  in  pieces  by  them,  commanded  the  sol- 
diers to  go  down  and  take  him  by  force  from  among 
them,  and  bring  him  into  the  castle. 

rently  attended  to  the  Law  and  the  Prophets,  and  the  multitude  of 
traditions  that  had  grown  up  round  these  sacred  writings.  These 
comments  and  interpretations  were  especially  the  charge  of  the  scribe. 
— "What  if  a  spirit  haih  spoken  lo  him,  or  an  angel  ?  These 
words  were  evidently  unfinished,  and  some  have  supposed  the  con- 
cluding ones  were  drowned  in  the  tumultuous  cries  of  the  Sadducees. 
But  the  explanation  suggested  by  Dr.  Hackett  is  the  most  satisfactory  : 
'  Undoubtedly  a  designed  aposiopesis.  A  significant  look  toward  the 
Sadducees  expressed  what  was  left  unsaid  :  If  a  spirit  spoke  to  him,  or 
an  angel — that  is  not  an  impossible  thing  ;  the  matter  then  assumes  import- 
ance. For  other  examples  of  aposiopesis,  see  Luke  19:42;  22:  42.' 
Paul  seems  to  refer  here  to  what  he  had  said  in  his  speech  on  the 
steps  of  the  tower  of  Antonia  concerning  the  appearance  of  Jesus  to 
him  on  the  way  to  Damascus  and  in  the  Temple. 

Ver.  10.  Fearing  lest  Paul  should  be  torn  in  pieces.  The 
excitement  in  the  council  hall  continued  to  increase.  The  Sadducees 
endeavouring  to  seize  Paul  as  a  blasphemer,  the  Pharisees  laying  hold 
on  him  to  protect  him,  the  Apostle  was  literally  in  danger  of  being 
torn  to  pieces.  Claudius  Lysias  at  once  intervened  and  ordered  a  guard 
of  soldiers  to  lead  the  accused  again  into  the  Roman  barracks  in  An- 
tonia. He  was  responsible  for  the  safety  of  one  who  claimed  to  be  a 
citizen  of  Rome. 

*  Practical  Xotes. — A  good  conscience  is  a  precions  boon,  but  conscience  is  not 
always  an  infallible  guide  (ver.  1).  Paul  in  following  his  conscience  strictly  before 
his  conversion  had  done  all  he  could  do,  but  he  was  none  the  less  in  error  and  wandering 
far  off  from  God.  The  heathen  also  have  a  conscience  (Eom.  2 :  15),  which  speaks  to 
them  as  the  voice  of  God.  But  conscience  can  become  seared  as  by  a  hot  iron  (1 
Tim.  4:  3)  and  lose  its  sensitiveness  to  moral  turpitude.— Conscience  by  itself  does  not 
lead  men  to  Christ.  It  is  not  to  be  relied  upon  in  matters  of  Revelation.  It  may  suflBce 
as  a  guide  for  the  moral  life,  but  it  cannot  reveal  Christ  or  lead  men  to  Christ.  This 
is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit. — Even  the  best  men  may  at  times  give  way  to  outbursts 
of  passion  and  impatient  anger  (ver.  3).  A  Christian  should  learn  to  return  reviling 
with  blessing.  The  Apostles  also  had  their  faults.  Paul,  when  he  replied  to  the  high 
priest,  seema  to  have  thought  not  so  much  of  the  sinfulness  of  the  man  as  of  the 
personal  indignity  he  himself  had  suffered.  None  but  Christ  is  a  perfect  model. — 
When  passion  gets  the  upper  hand,  justice  does  not  get  her  due.    Paul  had  a  right  to 


342  ACTS  XXIII.  [23:  H. 

Chapter  23  :  11. 

A  Revelation  to  Faul  in  Prison. 

11  And  the  night  following  the  Lord  stood  by  him,  and 
said,  Be  of  good  cheer :  for  as  thou  hast  testified  con- 
cerning me  at  Jerusalem,  so  must  thou  bear  witness 
also  at  Rome. 

a  fair  trial  before  the  Sanhedrin,  but  the  unreasonable  and  clamorous  animosity  of 
the  members  prevented  him  from  making  his  defence. 

A  Revelation  to  Paul  in  Prison,  ver.  11. 

Ver.  11.  Be  of  good  cheer so  must  thou  bear  wit- 
ness also  at  Rome.  Gloomy  thoughts  no  doubt  weighed  on  the 
wearied  Apostle's  mind  as  he  laid  down  that  night  in  the  prison-room 
in  Antonia.  But  the  Lord  had  pity,  and  reassured  him  that  not  only 
would  he  be  preserved  in  all  his  present  dangers,  but  would  live  to 
bear  his  testimony  in  distant  Rome — in  Rome  where  he  had  so  long 
and  so  earnestly  desired  to  labor  (Rom  1 :  13  ;  15:  23).  *  So  may 
one  crumb  of  divine  grace  and  help  be  multiplied  to  feed  5,000 
wants  and  anxieties'  (Alford).  In  Jerusalem  Paul's  mission  was  a 
complete  failure  :  his  words  there  were  spoken  to  the  winds  ;  but  when 
Paul  left  Jerusalem  the  days  of  the  city  were  numbered.  In  about  ten 
years  from  the  day  when  his  pleading  voice  was  drowned  by  the  exe- 
crations in  the  Temple,  not  one  stone  of  the  doomed  city  was  left  on 
another.  In  Rome  he  helped  to  build  up  a  flourishing  church,  and 
when  the  sovereignty  of  the  world  was  lost  to  the  imperial  city,  the 
religion  of  Paul  restored  to  it  a  grander  empire  than  the  proudest  of 
the  Cassars  had  ruled  over.  The  words  of  the  Master  were  indeed  ful- 
filled— fulfilled,  too,  in  that  deeper  sense  which  the  solemn  word  *  to 
bear  witness '  was  beginning  to  assume  in  the  familiar  language  of 
the  Christians,  for  Paul  suffered  martyrdom.  *  We  are  greatly  struck 
in  this  whole  narrative  with  the  absence  of  all  reference  to  words  of 
sympathy  from  the  Jerusalem  Christians  for  Paul  in  his  trials.  Years 
before,  when  Peter  was  in  prison,  prayer  was  made  of  the  Church  unto 
God  for  him  (Acts  12  :  5).  Here  we  hear  of  no  meeting  of  prayer  for 
Paul,  and  no  voice  was  lifted  up  in  his  defence.  And  yet  Paul  had 
come  to  Jerusalem  bringing  giftn  !  This  whole  change  of  tone  in  the 
Jerusalem  church  must  be  attributed  to  the  bitter  Judaizing  spirit  so 
hostile  to  the  admission  of  the  Gentiles  as  such  into  the  Church.  Hu- 
man prejudice  had  to  some  extent,  at  least,  taken  the  place  of  that 
spirit  of  '  one  accord '  which  prevailed  in  the  first  years  after  the  re- 
surrection. 


28:  12-15.]  ACTS  XXIII.  343 

Chapter  23:  12-25. 

The  Conspiracy  against  FauVs  Life  and  his  Transfer  to 
Ccesarea. 

12  And  when  it  was  day,  the  Jews  banded  together, 
and  bound  themselves  under  a  curse,  saying  that  they 
would  neither  eat  nor  drink  till  they  had  killed  Paul. 

13  And  they  were  more  than  forty  which  made  this  con- 

14  spiracy.  And  they  came  to  the  chief  priests  and  the 
elders,  and  said,  We  have  bound  ourselves  under  a 
great  curse,  to  taste  nothing  until  we  have  killed  Paul. 

15  Now  therefore  do  ye  with  the  council  signify  to  the 
chief  captain  that  he  bring  him  down  unto  you,  as 
though  ye  would  judge  of  his  case  more  exactly :  and 

The  Conspiracy  against  PauVs  Life  and  his  Transfer  to  Csesarea, 
vers.  12-25. 

Ver.  12.  The  Jews  banded  together,  and  bound  them- 
selves under  a  curse,  etc.  'The  contrast  is  great  between  the 
peaceful  assurance  thus  secretly  given  to  the  faith  of  the  Apostle  in  his 
place  of  imprisonment  and  the  active  malignity  of  his  enemies  in  the 
city'  (Howson,  St.  Paul).  The  Jews  here  alluded  to  were  doubtless 
composed  of  Paul's  bitter  foes  from  Asia  Minor,  together  with  his  Sad- 
ducasan  opponents.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  some  of  them  be- 
longed to  that  wild  and  fanatic  association  which  played  so  prominent 
a  part  in  the  Holy  Land  in  the  last  years  of  Jerusalem — the  Sicarii  or 
Assassins.  These  men  invoked  the  curse  of  God  upon  themselves  in 
the  event  of  their  violating  their  vow,  binding  themselves  neither  to 
eat  nor  drink  until  they  had  murdered  Paul. 

Ver.  14.  They  came  to  the  chief  priests  and  the  elders. 
From  the  preceding  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  they  had  recourse  to 
the  Sadducffian  portion  of  the  chief  officials. 

Ver.  15.  "We,  or  ever  he  come  near,  are  ready  to  slay  him. 
A  skilfully  laid  and  malign  plot.  But  it  was  in  perfect  accordance 
with  the  practice  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Jewish  state  in  these 
unhappy  days.  Philo,  the  famous  Alexandrian  Jew,  who  wrote  in  this 
age,  says :  '  It  is  highly  proper  that  all  who  have  a  zeal  for  virtue 
should  have  a  right  to  punish  with  their  own  hands  without  delay 
those  who  are  guilty  of  this  crime'  (that  is,  forsaking  what  the  ortho- 
dox .Jew  considered  the  worship  of  the  true  God)  ...  *  not  carrying 
them  before  any  magistrate,  but  that  they  should  indulge  the  abhor- 
rence of  evil  and  the  love  of  God  which  they  entertain,  by  inflicting 
immediate  punishment  on   such  impious  apostates — regarding  them- 


344  ACTS  XXIII.  [23:  16-21. 

16  we,  or  ever  he  come  near,  are  ready  to  slay  him.  But 
Paul's  sister's  son  heard  of  their  lying  in  wait,  ^  and 
he  came  and  entered  into  the  castle,  and  told  Paul. 

17  And  Paul  called  unto  him  one  of  the  centurions,  and 
said.  Bring  this  young  man  unto  the  chief  captain  :  for 

18  he  hath  something  to  tell  him.  So  he  took  him,  and 
brought  him  to  the  chief  captain,  and  saith,  Paul  the 
prisoner  called  me  unto  him,  and  asked  me  to  bring 
this  young  man  unto  thee,  who  hath  something  to  say 

19  to  thee.  And  the  chief  captain  took  him  by  the  hand, 
and  going  aside  asked  him  privately,  What  is  that  thou 

20  hast  to  tell  me  ?  And  he  said.  The  Jews  have  agreed 
to  ask  thee  to  bring  down  Paul  to-morrow  unto  the 
council,  as  though  thou   wouldest  inquire  somewhat 

21  more  exactly  concerning  him.  Do  not  thou  therefore 
yield  unto  them :  for  there  lie  in  wait  for  him  of  them 

1  Or,  having  come  in  upon  them,  and  he  entered  dc. 

selves  for  the  time  as  all  things  .  .  .  judges  .  .  .  accusers,  wit- 
nesses, the  laws,  the  people ;  so  that,  hindered  by  nothing,  they  may 
without  fear  and  with  all  promptitude  espouse  the  cause  of  piety' 
(quoted  by  Dr.  Hackett).  They  followed  the  principle  that  it  was 
right  to  do  ill  that  good  (what  they  thought  good)  might  come.  '  It  is 
melancholy  to  remember  how  often  the  casuistry  of  Christian  theolo- 
gians has  run  in  the  same  groove.  Jesuit  teaching  absolves  subjects 
from  their  allegiance  to  heretical  rulers,  and  the  practical  issue  of  that 
teaching  in  the  history  of  the  Gunpowder  Plot  and  of  the  murders  per- 
petrated by  Clement  (Henry  III.)  and  by  Eavaillac  (Henry  IV.)  pre- 
sents only  too  painful  a  parallel.'  fPlumptre.) 

Ver.  16.  Paul's  sister's  son.  This  is  the  only  mention  in  the 
Acts  of  any  of  Paul's  relations.  We  hear  nothing  further  of  this  young 
man,  but  may  hope  that  under  the  influence  of  his  uncle  he  had 
learned  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Christ.  Paul  refers  to  his  kinsmen  in  two 
passages  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  (16  :  7,  11).  Apparently  there 
was  no  difficulty  of  access  to  Paul  in  his  temporary  imprisonment  in 
Antonia. 

Ver.  17.  Paul  called  unto  him  one  of  the  centurions. 
Attention  has  been  justly  called  here  to  the  fact  that,  although  Paul 
had  just  received  the  divine  promise  of  protection,  yet  he  neglected 
none  of  the  ordinary  means  of  safety  which  were  presented  to  him. 

Ver.  18.  Paul  the  prisoner.  Literally,  '  one  bound.'  We  con- 
clude that  Paul  was  still  fastened  by  a  chain  to  the  arm  of  a  soldier. 


23 :  22-24.]  ACTS  XXIII.  345 

more  than  forty  men,  which  have  bound  themselves 
under  a  curse,  neither  to  eat  nor  to  drink  till  they 
have  slain  him  :  and  now  are  they  ready,  looking  for 

22  the  promise  from  thee.  So  the  chief  captain  let  the 
young  man  go,  charging  him.  Tell  no  man  that  thou 

23  hast  signified  these  things  to  me.  And  he  called  unto 
him  two  of  the  centurions,  and  said.  Make  ready  two 
hundred  soldiers  to  go  as  far  as  Csesarea,  and  horsemen 
threescore  and  ten,  and  spearmen  two  hundred,  at  the 

24  third  hour  of  the  night :  and  he  hade  them  provide 
beasts,  that  they  might  set  Paul  thereon,  and   bring 

Ver.  19.     The  chief  captain  took  him  by  the  hand.     The 

Roman  commander  was  favorably  impressed  with  something  in  Paul's 
bearing,  and  probably  with  his  words.  He  may  have  been  glad  to  be 
able  in  any  way  to  assist  him,  as  years  before  Pilate  had  been  willing 
to  assist  another  prisoner  gi-eater  than  Paul.  Bengel  remarks,  the 
captain  took  Paul's  nephew  by  the  hand,  'in  order  to  confirm  the 
young  man's  confidence.' 

Ver.  23.  Make  ready  two  hundred  soldiers,  etc.  Four 
hundred  and  seventy  soldiers  seem  to  have  been  a  large  force  to  have 
guarded  a  single  prisoner  from  the  murderous  design  of  forty  men,  but 
the  disturbed,  uneasy  state  of  the  entire  country  must  be  borne  in 
mind  and  the  desire  of  the  chief  captain  to  guard  well  a  Roman  citizen. 
— The  third  hoar  of  the  night.  9  o'clock.  The  captain  was 
evidently  afi-aid  of  violent  measures  the  next  day  and  anxious  to  avoid 
all  complications  with  the  fanatic  Jews  and  their  council. 

Ver.  24.  Felix  the  governor.  The  career  of  this  unprincipled 
man,  who,  owing  to  his  meeting  with  Paul,  has  obtained  a  conspicuous 
niche  in  history,  is  principally  interesting  as  affording  a  good  instance 
of  the  way  in  which  high  position  was  acquired  under  the  Caesars  in 
the  first  and  second  centuries.  Felix  and  his  brother  Pallas  were  ori- 
ginally slaves,  and  then  freedmen  in  the  house  of  a  noble  Roman  lady, 
Antonia,  mother  of  the  Emperor  Claudius.  Pallas  became  the  favorite 
and  subsequently  minister  of  the  emperor.  He  procured  Felix  the 
important  post  of  procurator  of  Judgea  about  a.  d.  52.  Tacitus  writes 
of  him  as  one  who,  trusting  to  his  brother's  powerful  influence  at 
court,  knew  he  could  commit  any  wrong  with  impunity.  He  was  noto- 
riously avaricious,  cruel  and  licentious,  but  withal  a  man  of  great  en- 
ergy and  talent,  wielding,  however,  as  Tacitus  tells  us,  '  the  power  of  a 
tyrant  in  the  temper  of  a  slave.'  According  to  Josephus,  he  was  one 
of  the  most  corrupt  and  oppressive  governors  ever  despatched  from 
Rome  to  Judaea.  Suetonius,  in  his  history  of  Claudius,  mentions  him 
as  the  'husband  (in  succession)  of  three  queens'  : — (1)  Drusilla,  the 


346  ACTS  XXIII.  [23:  25-29. 

25  him  safe  unto  Felix  the  governor.  And  he  wrote  a 
letter  after  this  form  : 

Chapter  23:  26-30. 
The  Letter  of  Lysias  to  Fdix. 

26  Claudius  Lysias  unto  the  most  excellent  governor 

27  Felix,  greeting.  This  man  was  seized  by  the  Jews, 
and  was  about  to  be  slain  of  them,  when  I  came  upon 
them    with    the   soldiers,    and    rescued   him,    having 

28  learned  that  he  was  a  Roman.  And  desiring  to  know 
the  cause  wherefore  they  accused  him,  ^I  brought  him 

29  down  unto  their  council :  whom  I  found  to  be  accused 
about  questions  of  their  law,  but  to  have  nothing  laid 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  omit  /  brought  him  doion  unto  their  council. 

daughter  of  Juba,  king  of  Mauritania.     (2)  Another  princess  of  the 
same  name,  the  daughter  of  Herod  Agrippa  I.,  who  left  her  first  hus- 
band Azizus,  king  of  Emesa,  to  marry  Felix.    The  name  of  the  third  is 
unknown. 
*  Pbactical  Notes. — See  close  of  next  section. 

The  Letter  of  Lysias  to  Felix,  vers.  26-30. 

Ver.  26.  Claudius  Lyaias  unto  the  most  excellent  gov- 
ernor Felix,  greeting.  This  was  in  strict  accordance,  with  the 
Roman  law,  which  directed  a  subordinate  official,  in  sending  a  prisoner 
to  the  higher  authority  for  trial,  to  send  a  written  statement,  termed 
an  elogium,  of  the  whole  case.  On  this  occasion,  the  elogium  was  rather 
a  letter  in  favor  of  Paul  than  a  formal  accusation.  '  The  most  excel- 
lent '  was  the  official  title  usually  given  to  a  governor  or  procurator 
holding  the  office  of  Felix.  Tertullus,  the  orator,  thus  addressed  the 
procurator  in  court  (24:  3),  and  Paul,  Festus  (26:  25).  In  his 
dedication  of  the  Gospel,  Luke  uses  it  of  Theophilus  (Luke  1:3). 

Ver.  27.  I  came  upon  them  with  the  soldiers  and  rescued 
him.  This  is  a  false  statement  of  the  facts.  Lysias  wished  to  make 
a  point  with  his  superior,  Felix,  by  representing  that  he  had  interfered 
on  the  prisoner's  behalf  because  he  was  a  Roman  citizen;  but,  in 
truth,  he  did  not  interpose  until  after  Paul,  by  his  own  orders,  had 
been  chained  up  to  be  scourged.  He  evidently  wished  to  throw  a  veil 
over  the  grave  fault  he  had  committed  in  ordering  a  Roman  citizen  to 
be  scourged.  Meyer  well  calls  attention  here  to  the  evidence  the 
genuineness  of  the  letter  afforded  by  this  comparatively  trivial  circum- 
stance. 

Ver.  29.  *  About  questions  of  their  law.  The  questions  of 
the  Jewish  law  in  the  Roman  commander's  view  were,  no  doubt,  of 


23:  3J.]  ACTS  XXIII.  317 

30  to  his  charge  worthy  of  death  or  of  bonds.  And  when 
it  was  shewn  to  me  that  there  would  be  a  plot  against 
the  man*,  I  sent  him  to  thee  forthwith,  charging  his 
accusers  also  to  speak  against  him  before  thee/ 

*  "  against  the  man  "  etc.  add  marg.  Many  ancient  authorities  read  against  the  man 
on  their  part,  I  sent  him  to  thee,  charging  etc.  Am.  Vuni, 

1  Many  ancient  authorities  add  Farewell. 

trivial  importance.  Gallic  at  Corinth  expressed  his  contempt  for  such 
questions  (Acts  18:  15).  It  was  evident  that  there  was  nothing  in 
Paul's  conduct  for  the  Roman  law  to  take  cognizance  of. 

Ver.  30.  'When  it  "w^as  shewn  to  me,  etc.  'Though  I  thought 
him  innocent.'  writes  Claudius  Lysias,  'yet,  hearing  of  this  further 
plot  against  the  life  of  a  Roman  citizen,  I  judged  it  wise  to  refer  the 
whole  matter  to  you,  the  chief  authority  in  Judeea,  as  the  affair  may 
be  more  serious  than  I  have  deemed  it  to  be.'  The  soldier  evidently 
suspected,  the  affair  of  Paul  was  mixed  up  with  some  movement  against 
the  Roman  power. 

*PR.iCTiCAL  Notes. — 'Bonds  and  afflictions  did  indeed  abide'  Paul  at  Jerusalem 
as  he  said  in  his  farewell  words  to  the  elders  of  Ephesus  (Acts  20  :  2:}).  Perhaps  Paul 
had  done  wrong  in  going  up  to  Jerusalem  (21 :  12).  Perhaps  he  had  put  too  much 
confidence  in  man,  and  hoped  too  much  from  the  conciliating  influence  of  the  gifts 
from  the  Gentile  churches.  If  this  was  the  case  or  not,  he  was  indeed  called  upon  to 
suffer  great  afflictions.— Evil  purposes  cannot  be  hidden  from  God  (ver.  IG).  Sometimes 
He  protects  His  servants  by  destroying  the  concocters  of  evil  plots,  sometimes  by  warn- 
ing them,  as  in  the  case  of  Paul.  Paul  also  got  wind  of  the  plot  at  Coiinth  (Acts  20: 
3). — Sometimes  strangers  prove  better  friends  than  kinsmen.  The  Komans  protected 
Paul,  while  his  own  fellow-countrymen  were  seeking  to  kill  him  Surely  the  words  of 
the  Lord  were  again  fulfilled,  that  a  man's  foes  shall  be  they  of  his  own  household! 
Trust  in  God  does  not  exempt  us  from  the  use  of  the  ordinary  mean-  for  securing  our 
objects  (ver.  17).  Paul  used  the  revelations  of  his  n  phew  to  secure  his  safety.  He 
was  rendy  to  die  at  Jerusalem  (Acts  21 :  13),  but  he  was  far  from  recklessly  running 
into  the  jaws  of  death  when  there  was  no  use  of  it.  Paul  would  have  done  wrong  not 
to  hare  used  the  means  God  placed  in  his  hands  to  save  his  life.— Prayer  and  work  go 
together.  He  who  prays  well  will  not  despise  the  opportunities  God  affords  him  to  help 
himself.  We  are  saved  by  grace,  and  yet,  in  one  sense,  salvation  depends  upon  our  own 
effort,  and  we  must  'work  it  out  with  fear  and  trembling'  (Phil.  2  :  12). — Surely  tho 
angel  of  the  Lord  encamp  ^th  around  about  them  that  fear  him  (Ps.  34 :  7).  In  the  dark- 
ness, as  well  as  in  the  day,  we  are  safe  in  God's  hand  (ver.  23).— Roman  law  deserves 
our  respect.  It  protected  the  innocent  and  uncondemned.  But  law  could  not  atone  for 
guilt.    Grace  alone  can. 


848  ACTS  XXIII.  [23:  31-35. 

Chapter  23:  31-35. 
Paul  is  conducted  to  Felix. 

31  So  the  soldiers,  as  it  was  commanded  them,  took 

32  Paul,  and  brought  him  by  night  to  Antipatris.  But 
on  the  morrow  they  left  the  horsemen  to  go  with  him, 

33  and  returned  to  the  castle  :  and  they,  when  they  came 
to  Csesarea,  and  delivered  the  letter  to  the  governor, 

34  presented  Paul  also  before  him.  And  when  he  had 
read  it,  he  asked  of  what  province  he  was ;  and  when 

35  he  understood  that  he  was  of  Cilicia,  I  will  hear  thy 
cause*,  said  he,  when  thine  accusers  also  are  come : 
and  he  commanded  him  to  be  kept  in  Herod's  ^palace. 

*  For  "  bear  thy  cause  "  read  '  hear  thee  fully," — Am.  Com. 
1  Gr.  Prsetorium. 

Paul  is  conducted  to  Felix,  vers.  31-35. 

Ver.  31.  Brought  him  by  night  to  Antipatris.  This  was 
the  ancient  Caphar  Saba  (town  of  Saba),  built  by  Herod  the  Great,  and 
named  after  his  father  Antipater.  It  is  forty  miles  from  Jerusalem 
and  twenty-six  miles  from  Ciesarea. 

Ver.  32.  On  the  morrow  they  left  the  horsemen.  On  the 
morrow  after  they  arrived  at  Antipatris.  The  prisoner  was  beyond 
the  reach  of  pursuit,  and  the  party  of  seventy  horse  were  an  ample 
guard  for  the  remaining  twenty-six  miles. 

Ver.  34.  He  asked  of  what  province  he  w^as.  Felix  was 
not  the  principal  Roman  official  in  Judoea.  The  proconsul  of  Syria 
bore  supi-eme  authority.  Felix  deemed  it  expedient  to  inquire  re- 
specting the  nationality  of  the  prisoner,  as  it  might  have  been  desirable 
to  send  him  to  the  seat  of  the  government  of  some  other  procurator  or 
proconsul.  Compare  Pilate's  action  in  sending  our  Lord,  a  Galilean, 
to  be  judged  of  Herod  (Luke  23:  G,  7). 

Ver.  35.  I  w^ill  hear  thy  cause.  This  refers  to  a  more  formal 
examination. — Herod's  palace.  Built  by  Herod  the  Great  for  liis 
own  residence,  it  was  now  used  as  the  official  dwelling  of  the  Roman 
governor.  Most  likely  some  portion  of  it  was  set  apart  as  the  lodgings 
of  state  prisoners.  We  know  later  that,  during  the  imprisonmont  at 
Caesarea,  Paul  had  many  privileges  rarely  accorded  to  prisoners.  He 
was,  we  must  remember,  a  Roman  prisoner  and  uncondemned  ;  nor  is 
it  improbable  that  Felix  secretly  was  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  balk 
and  show  his  hostility  to,  the  chief  priests  and  Sanhedrin. 


24;  1,2.]  ACTS  XXIV.  349 

Chapter  24 :  1-9. 
Fay  I  accused  before  Felix. 
24  :  1     And  after  five  days  the  high  priest  Ananias  came 
down  with  certain  elders,  and  with  an  orator,  one  Ter- 
tullus ;  and  they  informed  the  governor  against  Paul. 
2  And  when  he  was  called,  Tertullus   began  to  accuse 
him,  saying, 

Seeing  that  by  thee  we  enjoy  much  peace,  and  that 
by  thy  providence  evils  are  corrected  for  this  nation 

Paul  accused  before  Felix,  vers.  1-9. 

Ver.  1.  After  five  days  the  high  priest,  Ananfas.  came 
down.  That  is,  five  days  after  PauFs  departure  with  the  armed  es- 
cort from  Jerusalem  [or  from  his  arrival  in  Csesarea,  Wetstein,  Wendt, 
etc.].  Roman  usage  required  that  a  case  referred  to  the  higher  tri- 
bunal like  this  should  be  proceeded  with  as  soon  as  possible.  The 
high  priest  came  in  person  with  some  of  the  Sanhedrists,  as  the  case 
was  of  great  importance  to  the  Sadducee  party.  They  are  said  to  have 
come  down  to  Ctesarea  because  .Jerusalem  was  situated  on  higher  gi*ound, 
Caesarea  on  the  sea  coast. — An  orator,  one  Tertullus.  The  orator, 
or  rhetorician,  was  an  advocate  acquainted  with  the  forcLS  of  Roman 
law,  and  frequently  employed  by  the  Jews  and  other  nations  in  the 
provincial  Roman  courts.  The  name,  Tertullus,  is  a  common  one, 
being  a  diminutive  of  Tertius  ;  Tertullian  the  famous  Christian  writer 
(a.  d.  200)  in  North  Africa,  is  another  form  of  the  same  name. 
Efvald  conjectures  that  this  Tertullus  was  one  of  the  synagogue  of  the 
Libertines,  mentioned  in  chap.  6  :   9. 

Ver.  2.  Seeing  that  by  thee  we  enjoy  much  peace.  Ter- 
tullus commenced  his  address  with  the  most  exaggerated  flatte'ry  of 
Felix,  the  procurator ;  yet  at  the  bottom  of  his  compliments,  it  could 
not  be  denied,  there  was  a  substratum  of  truth.  Felix  had,  at  least, 
distinguished  himself  by  his  strong  measures  to  put  down  brigandage 
and  deeds  of  violence  in  Judeea,  and  waged  ceaseless  warfare  against 
those  wandering  bands  of  Sicarii  (assassins)  which  had  begun  to  infest 
the  country.  Tacitus,  no  friend  to  Felix,  relates  how,  on  the  occasion 
of  bitter  quarrel  between  Felix  and  the  governor  of  Galilee,  Y.  Cu- 
manus,  Felix  was  supported  by  the  president  of  Syria,  Quadratus,  and 
quietness  was  restored  to  the  province.  *  As  to  the  number  of  robbers  he 
caused  to  be  crucified,  and  of  those  whom  he  brought  to  be  punished, 
they  were  a  multitude  not  to  be  enumerated'  [Wars  of  the  Jeivs,  Jose- 
phus). — By  thy  providence  evils  are  corrected.  Providence 
stands  for  careful  forethought  and  prevision  of  danger.  There  was 
only  the  slightest  ground  for  this  statement.  Within  two  years  of  this 
:ime,  Felix   was   accused   by  the  Jews   of  bad  government,  and   the 


350  ACTS  XXIV.  [24 ;  3-6 

3  we  arcept  it  in  all  ways  and  in  all  places,  most   excel- 

4  lent  Felix,  with  all  thankfulness.  But,  that  I  be  not 
lurtlier  tedious  unto  thee,  I  entreat  thee  to  hear  us  of 

5  thy  clemency  a  few  Avords.  For  we  have  found  this 
man  a  pestilent  fellow,  and  a  mover  of  insurrections 
among  all  the  Jews  throughout  4he  world,  and  a  ring- 

6  leader  of  the  sect  of  the  Nazarenes :  who  moieover 

Gi .  the  inhabited  earth. 

accusation  supported  by  such  undeuiable  proof  that  he  was  recalled 
from  his  province  to  Rome,  and  only  escaped  punishment  through  the 
influence  of  his  brother,  Pallas,  at  the  court  of  the  Cresar. 

Ver.  3.  "We  accept  it  in  all  ways  and  in  all  places.  '  Not 
only  here  in  thy  presence  and  at  this  moment  do  we  acknowledge  our 
deep  debt  of  gratitude  as  a  nation  to  thee ;  but  also  at  all  times  and  in 
all  places  do  we  speak  in  grateful  terms  of  thee,' — thus  adding  to  the 
gross  words  of  flattery  already  used,  a  most  transparent  falsehood. 
The  name  of  Felix  was  among  Jews  everywhere  a  byword  for  cruelty, 
lust  and  greed. 

A^er.  4.  Thy  clemency.  One  falsehood  more  did  Tertullus  think 
proper  to  introduce  into  his  harangue.  The  clemency  of  Felix  was  an 
invention  of  the  flattering  sycophant.  Felix  was  well  known  as  an 
avaricious  and  servile  man.  In  strange  contrast  do  Paul's  words  stand 
to  this  gross  adulation,  when  he  reasoned  before  Felix  of  '  righteous- 
ness, and  temperance,  and  the  judgement  to  come.' 

Ver.  5.  A  pestilent  fello-w.  Literally  a  plague  or  pest,  but  it  is 
used  by  Demosthenes  as  here,  to  designate  a  designing,  dangerous 
person. — A  mover  of  insurrections  among  all  the  Jews 
throughout  the  world. — That  is,  the  Roman  empire,  which  in  the 
days  of  Paul  embraced  a  vast  area.  This  charge  of  teaching  sedition 
was  no  new  one.  The  Jews  of  Thessalonica  accused  the  Apostle  and 
his  companions  of  being  '  those  who  had  turned  the  uorld  upside  down' 
(17  :  6,  7). — A  ringleader  of  the  sect  of  the  Nazarenes. 
— This  was  really,  in  the  eyes  of  the  .Tews,  the  offence  which  Paul  had 
committed.  It  was  here  urged  by  Tertullus  as  an  ofi^ence  against  the 
laws  of  the  empire,  inasmuch  as  the  prisoner  was  chief  of  a  worsldp 
not  licensed  by  the  state,  and  an  introducer  of  strange  gods.  This  is 
the  only  passage  in  the  New  Test,  where  the  word  is  used  to  denote  the 
Christians.  It  was  of  course  as  a  term  of  reproach.  The  Jews  could 
not  call  the  followers  of  Christ,  Christians,  the  name  Christ  (Messiah) 
was  too  sacred.  The  designation  is  still  used  by  Jews  and  Mohamme- 
dans. 

Ver.  6.  Assayed  to  profane  the  temple.  He  does  not  assert 
as  the  tumultuous  Jews  had  done,  that  he  actually  did  profane  the 
holy  building  (Acts  21  :  28).  The  astute  lawyer  modifies  the  original 
accusation,  and  merely  states  the  prisoner  had  attemjjted  to  profane  th© 


24:  8-10.]  ACTS  XXIV.  351 

8  assayed  to  profane  the  temple :  on  whom  also  we  laid 
liold  •}  from  whom  thou  Avilt  be  able,  by  examining 
him  thyself,  to  take  knowledge  of  all  these  things, 

9  whereof  we  accuse  him.  And  the  Jews  also  joined 
in  the  charge,  affirming  that  these  things  were  so. 

Chapter  24:  10-21. 

Paul's  Defence  before  Felix. 

10      And  when  the  governor  had  beckoned  unto  him  to 
speak,  Paul  answered, 

Forasmuch  as  I  know  that  thou  hast  been  of  many 
years  a  judge  unto   this  nation,  I  do  cheerfully  make 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  insert  and  we  icould  have  judged  him  according  to  our  law^ 
7  But  Ihe  chief  captain  Ljisias  came,  and  wifh  great  violence  took  him  away  out  of 
our  hands,  8  commanding  his  accusers  to  come  before  thee. 

temple.     There  were  thus  three  distinct  charges  brought  against  Paul : 

(1)  that  he  had  excited  seditions  in  different  parts  of  the   empire; 

(2)  that,  as  a  leader  of  the  Nazarene  sect,  he  was  an  introducer  of 
strange  gods,  a  teacher  of  an  unlawful  religion  ;  (3)  that  he  had  at- 
tempted to  profane  the  Temple — an  offence  which,  by  the  permission 
of  tlie  Roman  government,  was  punishable  by  the  Jews  with  death. 
*Laid  bold. — The  words  in  King  James'  version  that  immediately 
follow  these,  and  those  of  ver.  7  have  been  properly  placed  in  the  raar- 
gin  by  the  Revisers.  They  are  omitted  by  most  of  the  older  manu- 
scripts, and  have  been  left  out  of  the  great  critical  editions  of  the  New 
Testament,  (Mill,  Griesbach,  Lachmann,  Tischendorf,  Westcott  and 
Hort,  etc.) 

*Ver.  8.  By  examining  him  thyself.  This  was  another  astute 
trick  of  words.  Tertullus  knew  well  that  Felix  would  not  condemn 
Paul  without  examining  him.  But  Tertullus  no  doubt  felt  that  Paul 
would  prove  himself  under  close  questioning  and  cross  questioning 
in  the  eyes  of  the  procurator,  just  what  he  had  represented  him,  a 
leader  of  sedition  and  the  preacher  of  a  new  religion. 

*Ver.  9.  The  Jews  also  joined  in  the  charge.  Ananias  and 
the  elders  may  have  signified  their  assent  to  the  accusation,  simply  by 
gestures  or  they  may  have  been  called  upon  by  Felix  to  speak  for 
themselves. 

PauVs  Dofcnce  before  Felix. — Vers.  10-21. 

Ver.  10.  Paul  answered.  Ilis  defence  was  a  strange  contrast  to  the 
lying  flatteries  and  distorted  accusations  which  made  up  the  speech  of 
Tertullus.  Its  tone  was  that  of  manly  frankness  as  opposed  to  servile 


352  ACTS  XXIV.  [24:  11-12. 

11  my  defence :  seeing  that  thou  canst  take  knowledge, 
that  it  is  not  more  than  twelve  days  since  I  went  up 

12  to  worship  at  Jerusalem :  and  neither  in  the  temple 
did  they  find  me  disputing  with  any  man  or  stirring 
up  a  crowd,  nor  in  the  synagogues,  nor  in  the  city. 

sycophancy.  After  a  few  graceful  words  of  courtesy  to  the  Roman  offi- 
cial, in  which  he  expresses  his  contentment  at  having  to  defend  himself 
before  a  judge  who  had  had  ample  opportunities  of  making  himself  ac- 
quainted with  the  Jewish  na'ion  and  its  schools  of  thought.  Paul  replied 
to  the  charge  that  he  was  a  mover  of  sedition,  by  referring  to  his  brief 
stay  in  Jerusalem,  and  his  unostentatious  demeanor  during  that  time. 
He  then  passed  to  the  second  charge,  that  he  was  a  Nazarene  ringleader, 
which  he  answered  by  asserting  that  the  religion  he  professed  was 
based  upon  and  in  accordance  with  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  central 
point  of  which  was  the  belief  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  From 
this  he  turned  to  the  last  charge,  the  profanation  of  the  Temple.  Far 
from  having  profaned  that  sacred  house,  his  object  in  coming  to  Jeru- 
salem was,  to  distribute  alms  he  had  collected  in  foreign  lands,  and  to 
worship  at  the  feast  of  Pentecost,  and  he  was  in  the  act  of  performing 
certain  holy  rites,  when  he  was  seized.^Thou  hast  been  of  many- 
years  a  judge,  etc.  Felix  had  been  procurator  since  a.  d.  51-52,  or 
up  to  this  time,  six  or  seven  years.  He  had  also  been  governor  of 
Samaria  Avhen  Cumanus  was  procurator  of  Judaea. — I  do  cheerfuUy 
make  my  defence.  Paul  felt  that  his  judge  had  had,  during  his 
long  years  of  ofl&ce,  ample  opportunities  of  becoming  acquainted  with 
the  character  of  the  leaders  of  the  Jews,  and  possibly,  too,  that  Felix 
knew  something  of  the  Christians.  *The  word,  make  my  defence,  is 
the  translation  of  a  Gretk  word,  from  which  apology  is  derived.  In 
the  tirst  centuries  of  Christianity,  the  vindications  of  it  were  called 
apologies,  and  the  word  did  not  suggest,  as  it  now  does,  the  notion  of 
any  excuse. 

Ver.  11.  It  is  not  more  than  twelve  days,  etc.  These  twelve 
days  are  best  reckoned  thus  :  \st  day.  Paul  arrived  at  Jerusalem  and 
met  with  James  (21 :  15).  2d  day.  Made  his  first  visit  to  the  Temple 
as  a  Nazai'ite.  Zd-lth  day.  Performed  the  Nazarite  ceremonies  and 
was  arrested  by  Claudius  Lysias.  Sth  day.  Was  arraigned  before  the 
Sanhedrin.  ^th  day.  Was  informed  of  the  assassination  plot  and  left 
Jerusalem.  10th  day.  Arrived  at  Antipatris.  llthday.  Was  delivered 
over  to  Felix  in  Caesarea.  12th  day.  In  the  palace  of  Herod.  ISth 
day.   Appeared  bofore  Felix. 

Ver.  12.  Disputing  with  any  man  or  stirring  up  a  crowd. 
He  urges  that  the  accusation  of  exciting  sedition  was  incapable  of 
proof.  Nowhere  had  he  publicly  disputed  with  the  purpose  of  exciting 
a  tumult — not  in  the  crowded  Temple  courts,  nor  in  the  synagogue 
meetings  ;  nor  had  he  gone  preaching  and  speaking  up  and  down  the 
streets  of  the  city. 


24:  13-15.]  ACTS  XXIV.  353 

13  Neither  can  they  prove   to  thee  the  things  whereof 

14  they  now  accuse  me.  But  this  I  confess  unto  thee, 
that  after  the  Way  which  they  call  ^a  sect,  so  serve  I 
the  God  of  our  fathers,  believing  all  things  which  are 
according  to  the   law,  and  which  are  written  in  the 

15  prophets  :  having  hope  toward  God,  which  these  also 
themselves  ^look  for,  that  there  shall  be  a  resurrection 

1  Or,  heresy.        2  Or,  accept, 

Ver.  14.  *This  I  confess  unto  thee.  Bengelsays:  *An  in- 
genuous, cordial,  and  full  confession  in  this  verse  of  faith,  in  the  next 
of  hope,  and  in  the  17th  of  love.— ^  After  the  Way  which  they 
call  a  sect.  Tertullus  had  used  the  term  in  a  bad  sense  (ver.  4)  of 
the  Nazarenes  as  a  schismatic  offshoot  from  the  body  of  the  Jewish 
Church.  The  Greek  word  {alpeoig),  of  which  sect  is  the  translation,  is 
the  same  as  our  word  heresy.  It  is  used  in  the  N.  T.  of  a  school  of 
religious  opinion,  as  of  the  Pharisees  (Acts  15  :  5)  and  Sadducees 
(5:  17),  with  no  implication  of  erroneous  doctrine.  The  word  heresy 
now  implies  doctrinal  error.  Christianity  in  Paul's  view  was  not  a 
sect  of  Judaism,  but  Judaism  itself  in  its  highest  stage  of  developDient. 
— Believing  all  things  which  are  according  to  the  law^,  etc. 
Paul  asserted  he  was  a  true  Jew,  believing  all  the  promises  written  in 
the  Law  and  Prophets.  In  this  faith  he  followed  out  the  words  of  the 
Master:  '  Think  not  that  I  came  to  destroy  the  Law  and  the  Prophets; 
I  came  not  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil'  (Matt.  5:  17).  In  other  words, 
Paul  denied  that  in  becoming  a  Christian  he  had  apostatized  from  the 
faith  of  his  fathers.  Christianity  to  him  was  but  the  fulfilment  of 
Judaism. 

Ver.  15.  A  resurrection  both  of  the  just  and  unjust. 
This  belief  in  the  Law  and  the  Prophets  gave  him  a  hope  founded  on 
God,  because  His  word  and  the  promises  contained  in  the  Law  and  the 
Prophets  furnish  the  only  grounds  for  such  a  hope.  This  hope  was 
that  there  would  be  a  resurrection,  and  it  was  held  by  the  Jewish 
nation  as  a  whole,  of  which  some  representatives  were  there  present 
The  doctrine  of  the  Sadducees  that  there  was  no  resurrection  was  held 
by  a  comparatively  small  section.  '  Hast  thou'  asks  Lange  here,  '  this 
hope  ?  If  the  Spirit  has  not  yet  imparted  it  to  thee,  pause  not  until 
thou  art  assured  of  thy  blessed  resurrection  ;  pause  not,  for  there  can 
be  nothing  more  awful  than  to  die  without  the  hope  of  the  resurrec- 
tion.' Lange  has  also  an  exhaustive  note  on  the  devout  hope  of  the 
resurrection  as  the  ancient  heritage  of  the  Jewish  race:  'The  hope  of 
the  resurrection  is  established  on  a  doctrine,  the  glory  of  which  did 
not  arise  for  the  first  time  in  the  Xew  Test.  This  golden  thread  of 
eternal  life  passes,  on  the  contrary,  through  the  whole  of  the  Old  Test 
The  Creator,  who  animated  the  dust  of  the  ground  with  His  breath, 


354  ACTS  XXIV.  [24 !  10-18. 

16  of  the  just  and   unjust.     Herein  do  I  also  exercise 
myself  to  have  a  conscience  void  of  offence  toward  God 

17  and  men  alway.     Now  after  ^mauy  years*  I  came  to 

18  bring  alms  to  my  nation,  and  offerings :  ^amidst  which 

1  Or,  some. 

*  For  "  many  years  "  read  "  some  years." — Am.  Com. 

2  Or,  in  presenting  which. 

the  God  who  made  an  everlasting  covenant  (Gen.  17:  7)  with  Abra- 
ham, Isaac,  and  Jacob,  is  not  a  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living. 
That  hope  was  a  source  of  comfort  to  Job  (Job  19:  25-27);  Isaiah 
(2(5 :  19 j  foretold  it;  Daniel  (12  :  2j  bore  witness  to  it.  It  is  however, 
true  that  this  hope  lirst  acquired  a  firm  foundation,  and  was  endowed 
with  life  and  productive  power  through  the  resurrection  of  Christ  fruuj 
the  dead.' 

Ver.  16.  Herein  do  I  also  exercise  myself  to  have  a  con- 
science void  of  offence.  '  Herein  ;'  that  is,  for  this  reason,  be- 
cause of  his  belief  in  the  resurrection  ;  or,  in  other  words,  because  he 
held  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  the  just  and  unjust,  not  as  a 
mere  speculative  doctrine,  but  as  an  awful  reality  (comp.  2  Cor.  5 :  10, 
11).  The  rule  of  his  life  was  to  struggle  to  keep  himself  from  sin, 
knowing  that  we  shall  be  judged  according  to  the  deeds  done  in  the 
body.  '  These  words  of  Paul  must  have  been  almost  as  bitter  to  Felix 
as  to  Ananias,  but  he  has  at  all  events  the  deceney  to  listen  in  silence' 
(Plumptre). — *  Toward  God  and  men.  As  Bengel  says,  '  Paul 
illustrates  this  by  his  reference  in  the  next  verse  to  the  alms  (for  men) 
and  offerings  (for  God)  which  he  had  brought  to  or  offered  up  in 
Jerusalem.' 

Ver.  17.  After  many  years.  The  Greek  word  translated 
many,  also  signifies  several.  Four  years  had  elapsed  since  the  Apostle's 
last  "visit  to  Jerusalem  (chap.  18:  22). — I  came  to  bring  alms  to 
my  nation,  and  offerings.  The  alms  were  those  sums  of  money 
Paul  and  his  companions  had  collected  in  the  churches  of  Macedonia 
and  Achaia  for  the  relief  of  the  church  of  Jerusalem.  This  is  the  only 
mention  in  the  Acts  of  this  generous  work  of  which  we  hear  so  much 
in  Paul's  Epistles  (Rom.  15:  25;  1  Cor.  16:  1-4;  2  Cor.  8:  d-4.). 
Paley  [Ilorx  Paulmee)  calls  attention  to  this  as  to  one  of  the  more 
striking  of  those  'undesigned  coincidences'  which  exist  between  Paul's 
Epistles  and  the  Actf*,  and  which  furnish  us  with  an  independent  but 
powerful  proof  of  the  credibility  of  the  New  Test,  writers.  The  offer- 
ings were,  perhaps,  for  the  Temple  and  its  servic  s,  including  the  usual 
sacrifices  customary  at  the  feast  of  Pentecost,  and  also  those  special 
contributions  which  were  part  of  the  Nazarite's  vow  (chap.  21  :  23- 
26).  Paul  certainly  had  not  intended  to  profane  the  Temple,  as  Ter- 
tullus  alleged. 

Ver.  18.  *Purified  in  the  temple.  That  is  from  his  Nazarite's 
vow  (Acts  21 :  26,  27). — *There  v^ere  certain  Jews  from  Asia. 


24:  19-21.]  ACTS  XXIV.  355 

they  found  me  purified  in  the  temple,  with  no  crowd, 
nor  yet  with  tumult :  but  there  were  certain  Jews  from 

19  Asia — who  ought  to  have  been  here  before  thee,  and 

20  to  make  accusation,  if  they  had  aught  against  me.     Or 
else   let  these  men  themselves  say  what  wrong-doing 

21  they  found,  when  I  stood  before  the  council,  except  it 

This  either  means  that  those  who  found  Paul  in  the  Temple  were  Jews 
from  Asia  Minor  (Acts  21 :  27),  or  else  it  is  a  more  general  statement. 
♦  There  were  also  certain  Jews  from  Asia  Minor  who  have  been  mixed 
up  in  this  trouble,  they  ought  to  be  here.' 

Ver.  19.  "Who  ought  to  have  been  here  before  thee,  etc. 
This  w\as  happily  urged  by  the  Apostle,  as  it  was  the  Roman  custom  cot 
to  judge  a  prisoner  on  any  charge  unless  the  accusers  were  present. 
Paul  urges  that  hh  accusers  really  were  not  the  Sanhedrin  nor  the 
Jews  then  in  court,  but  certain  foreign  pilgrims  from  Ephesus  (Asia). 
These  had  tarried  behind  in  Jerusalem,  or  already  set  out  on  their  re- 
turn journey. 

Ver.  20.  What  wrong  doing  they  found.  I  stood  before  the 
council.  The  Sanhediin  had  no  proof  that  he  had  committed  any  of 
the  crimes  alleged.  The^'/.?^  charge  of  sedition  was  merely  on  hearsay 
evidence.  The  second,  that  he  was  an  introducer  of  strange  gods  he 
had  disproved,  having  shown  that  he  was  a  devout  Jew,  cherishing 
the  promises  of  the  prophets.  The  third  and  gravest  charge  the 
Sanhedrin  had  only  cognisance  of  at  second  hand.  The  alleged 
profanation  of  the  Temple,  which  Paul  indignantly  denied,  was  borne 
testimony  to  by  witnesses  nor^e  of  whom  ivere  present  at  that  time  in  Csesarea. 
No  ;  there  was  only  one  true  explanation  of  the  wrath  of  the  moving 
spirits  in  the  great  Jewish  council.     With  that  he  proceeds  to  deal, 

Ver.  21.  Except  it  be  for  this  one  voice,  etc.  Paul  well 
knew  that  many  in  the  Sanhedrin,  and  the  majority  in  the  nation, 
would  sympathize  with  him  here.  Wordsworth  well  summarizes  this 
masterly  defence  of  Paul : — '  They  have  charged  me  with  profaning  the 
Temple.  But  the  fact  is,  I  came  from  a  distance  to  Jerusalem  to  icor- 
ship  in  the  Temple  ;  and  to  bring  alms  of  charity,  and  offerings  of  piety, 
as  a  Xazarite ;  and  they  themselves  found  me  in  the  Temple,  engaged 
in  a  holy  service,  proving  my  respect  for  the  Temple." — *Touching 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  etc.  ^Meyer  calls  this  remark  of 
Paul  holy  irony.  His. utterance  concerning  the  resurrection  was  in- 
deed the  only  thing  which  had  come  directly  under  the  notice  of  the 
Sanhedrin,  and  it  had  been  a  cause  of  division  in  the  Sanhedrin  itself. 
Paul  understood  clearly  his  case,  and  did  not  waste  words.  Tertullus 
and  the  Sanhedrists  had  no  case  at  all. 

*  Practical  Notes.—'  Eloquence  is  a  gift  of  God.  but  the  eloquence  of  a  bad  man  (ver. 
2)  is  like  poison  in  a  golden  cup'  (Augustine).— Many  make  up  for  the  weakness  of  a 
bad  case  with  flattering  words.     Compliments  sometimes  reach  the  heart  whsre  ap- 


356  ACTS  XXIV.  [24 :  22. 

be  for  this  one  voice,  that  I  cried  stauding  among 
them,  Touching  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  I  am 
called  in  question  before  you  this  day. 

Chapter  24:  22-23. 

PauVs   Confinement, 

22  But  Felix,  having  more  exact  knowledge  concerning 
the  Way,  deferred  them,  saying,  When  Lysias  the 
chief  captain  shall  come  down,  I  will  determine  your 

peals  of  justice  will  uot,  as  Paul  found  out. — Christianity  is  the  end  and  fulflJment  of 
Judaism  (ver.  14).  It  is  not  a  sect  of  natural  religion,  nor  of  the  Jewish,  as  some  were 
pleased  to  call  it.  But  it  is  the  religion  which  haa  God  for  its  author,  and  is  designed 
for  all  mankind.  The  0.  T.  economy  was  a  preparation  for  Christianity,  and  Christ 
himself  fulfilled  the  Law  and  the  Prophets.  Paul  in  believing  in  and  preaching  Christ 
was  obedient  to  the  divine  purpose.  Theiinbelieving  Jews  were  the  sectaries  (heretics). — 
Christianity  is  pre-eminently  the  Way  (ver.  14  ,  for  it  is  paved  with  the  divine  precepts 
and  promises,  and  leads  to  glory. — The  very  best  motives  may  be  misunderstood  (ver. 
17),  and  expectations  based  upon  self-sacrifice  be  disappointed. — The  resurrection  is  a 
fundamental  doctrine  (ver.  21).  The  hope  of  it  endows  men  with  patience  and  stead- 
fastness. Many,  however,  fail  to  get  the  comfort  of  the  resurrection,  because  they  fail 
to  believe  on  him  who  was  the  first  begotten  from  the  dead  and  death's  conqueror. 

PauV  s  Confinement,  vers.  22-23. 
Ver.  22.  Felix,  having  more  exact  knowledge  concern- 
ing the  Way.  Felix  might  have  liberated  the  prisoner  after  hearing 
his  defence,  had  not  the  same  motive — fear  of  the  Jews — influenced 
him  which  induced  him  two  j^ears  later,  when  he  was  removed  from 
his  office,  still  to  leave  Paul  bound  (ver.  27).  The  venal  magistrate  had 
too  good  reason  to  dread  the  enmity  of  the  people  over  whom  he  was 
placed  as  a  governor,  and  hoped  by  such  concessions  to  prevent  com- 
plaints being  lodged  against  him  at  Rome.  After  hearing  publicly  the 
accusation  and  the  prisoner's  defence,  as  he  could  not  possibly  gratify 
the  Jewish  party  by  condemning  him,  he  endeavored  to  conciliate  them 
by  still  holding  him  a  prisoner.  Felix  was  not  ignorant  of  the  Naza- 
rene's  story.  During  the  years  he  had  held  office  in  Judasa  and  Sama- 
ria, at  Jerusalem  as  well  as  at  Csesarea,  he  had  frequent  opportunities 
of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  tenets  and  the  lives  of  the  Christians. 
At  Cassarea,  under  his  very  eyes,  lived  one  of  the  oldest  Nazarene 
leaders — Philip  the  deacon  and  evangelist. — Lysias  the  chief  cap- 
tain shall  come  dovrn.  Of  Lysias,  and  his  coming-down,  w'e  hear 
nothing  further.  It  was  evidently  a  courteous  meaningless  expression 
of  Felix,  and  nothing  more.  He  had  heard  the  story  from  both  sides, 
and  was  evidently  fully  convinced  of  Paul's  innocence,  but  it  suited  his 
purposes  to  detain  him  in  captivity. 


24:  23-25.]  ACTS  XXIV.  357 


23  matter.  And  he  gave  orders  to  the  centurion  that  he 
should  be  kept  in  charge,  and  should  have  indulgence ; 
and  not  to  forbid  any  of  his  friends  to  minister  unto 
him. 

Chapter  24 :  24-27. 

PauVs  Address  before  Felix  and  Drusilla, 

24  But  after  certain  days,  Felix  came  with  Drusilla, 
^his  wife,  which  was  a  Jewess,  and  sent  for  Paul,  and 

25  heard  him  concerning  the  faith  in  Christ  Jesus.     And 

1  Gr.  his  own  wife. 

Ver.  23.     That  he  should  be  kept  in  charge.     There  were 

three  kinds  of  imprisonment  or  custody  among  the  Romans — (1)  Im- 
prisonment in  the  common  prison,  custodia  publica,  of  which  we  have 
an  instance  in  the  imprisonment  of  Paul  and  Silas  at  Philippi.  (2) 
Military  arrest,  custodia  milUaris,  when  the  prisoner  was  chained  to  a 
soldier.  This  appears  to  have  been  the  form  of  captivity  to  which  the 
Apostle  was  relegated  during  his  Eoman  confinement.  {^)  Free  custody, 
custodia  libera.  In  this  last  the  arrested  party  was  usually  released  on 
bail.  In  some  cases  the  accused,  if  an  illustrious  person,  was  entrusted 
to  the  care  of  a  magistrate.  Paul  remained  at  Ccesarea  evidently  under 
military  arrest,  the  conditions  of  which  were  relaxed,  as  the  ward 
rendered  '  indulgence'  plainly  indicates. 

PauVs  Address  before  Fdix  and  Drusilla,  vers.  24-27. 

Ver.  24.  Drusilla,  his  •wife,  "which  was  a  Jewess.  Drusilla 
was  the  daughter  of  Herod  Agrippa  I.,  who  ended  a  brilliant  and 
showy  life  in  the  miserable  way  depicted  in  (Acts  12:  23),  and  sister 
to  Herod  xVgrippa  II.  (Acts  25 :  13),  and  the  still  more  notorious  Prin- 
cess Bernice.  Endowed,  like  Bernice,  with  the  gift  of  extreme  beauty, 
she  was  married  at  a  very  early  age  to  Azizus,  king  of  Emesa,  who  be- 
came a  proselyte,  but  forsaking  him,  she  married  Felix.  She  perished 
at  the  eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius  A.  D.  79.  Prof.  Plumptre  has  made 
an  interesting  suggestion  to  account  for  the  special  interest  this  disso- 
lute princess  felt  in  the  case  of  Paul.  She  must  have  heard  of  the 
death  of  James  and  of  the  imprisonment  of  Peter  in  her  girlhood  ;  and 
she  may  have  connected  her  father's  tragic  end  with  the  part  he  had 
taken  in  persecuting  the  very  sect  to  which  Paul  belonged. 

Ver.  25.  And  he  reasoned  of  righteousness,  and  temper- 
ance, and  the  judgement  to  come.  Whatboldfidelity  to  his  calling! 
Paul  did  not  seek  to  charm  his  hearers  with  eloquence,  or  to  soothe 
them  with  smooth  words,  or  to  protect  hinkself  by  uttering  gener- 
alities.    He  took  in   the   character  of  his   auditors,  and   spoke   the 


358  ACTS  XXIV.  [24:  25. 

as  he  reasoned  of  righteousness,  and  temperance,  and 
the  judgement  to  come,  Felix  was  terrified,  and  an- 
swered, Go  thy  way  for  this  time ;  and  when  I  have 

1  Or,  seJf  control. 

keen  truth  that  suited  their  case.  Perhaps  Felix,  as  a  politician,  was 
hoping  to  learn  more  of  the  relations  existing  between  the  Christian 
sect  and  the  dominant  Jewish  schools  of  thouglit ;  and  the  Jewish 
princess  to  hear  an  account  of  Paul's  own  conversion,  or  something  of 
Jesus.  But  both  were  destined  to  be  disappointed.  With  intrepid 
boldness  and  thrilling  directness,  Paul  suits  his  words  to  the  flagitious 
and  profligate  lives  of  his  hearers,  and  preaches  to  them  repentance 
from  sin  and  self-indulgence,  and  the  certainty  of  a  future  judgment, 
sifting  human  character,  and  meting  out  to  each  his  own  due  recom- 
pense. Righteousness  {oiKaioavvrj)  or,  justice  embraces  the  duties  of  man 
10  man.  Temperance  xnQixus  {kyKparda)  self  control  or  continence,  and 
refers  to  the  control  of  the  appetites  and  lusts,  not  merely  of  drink, 
but  of  passion,  power,  luxury,  etc.  The  word  does  not  have  the  special 
meaning  of  total  abstinence.  Both  of  these  exhoi-tations  were  calcu- 
lated to  cut  like  a  keen  knife  both  Felix  and  Drusilla  to  the  quick. 
The  former  acted  as  though  he  had  a  '  license  to  commit  every  crime 
with  impunity'  (Tacitus).  He  was  noted  for  his  extortions  and  in- 
justice. He  little  heeded  the  rights  of  his  fellow  men,  and  was 
accustomed  to  thwart  justice  by  the  acceptance  of  bribes.  Drusilla,  on 
the  otlier  hand,  was  reached  more  particuhirly  by  the  exhortation  to 
temperance  or  self-continence.  She  was  an  open  adulteress,  living 
with  Felix  while  her  former  husband  was  still  living.  But  both  she 
and  Felix  were  voluptuaries,  who  thought  only  of  pleasure  and  revel- 
ling. Unappalled  by  their  brilliant  robes,  Paul  laid  bare  their  moral 
rottenness.  The  judgement  to  come  was  an  issue,  and  an  issue  that  they 
too,  had  to  face.  Every  man's  work  was  to  be  tried,  and  the  great 
tribunal  of  God  not  even  a  Roman  procurator  could  escape.  Paul,  like 
John  the  Baptist,  called  upon  his  debauched  hearei-s  to  repent.  With- 
out repentance  the  hopes  of  the  Gospel  were  out  of  the  question. — 
*  FeHx  was  terrified.  Even  the  conscience  of  Felix  was  reached. 
The  truth  was  so  powerful  that  it  made  him  respect  and  fear  the 
prisoner  (Bengel).  Paul,  the  prisoner,  alone  was  undaunted  and 
unperturbed.— When  I  have  a  convenient  season.  I  -will  call 
for  thee.  The  alarm  caused  by  PauFs  burning  words  of  truth  had 
no  permanent  etfect.  *  He  does  not  resent,'  well  writes  a  recent  com- 
mentator, '  Paul's  plainness  of  speech  ;  he  shows  a  certain  measure  of 
respect  for  him ;  but  he  postpones  acting  till  a  more  convenient  season, 
and  so  becomes  a  type  of  the  millions  whose  spiritual  life  is  ruined  by 
a  like  procrastination.  Nothing  that  we  know  of  him  gives  us  any 
ground  for  thinking  that  the  convenient  season  ever  came.'  Tavo  years 
after  this,  Felix,  accused  by  the  Jewish  people,  was  summoned  to  Rome 
to  give  an  account  of  his  Judaean  stewardship.     Thus,  by  the  provi- 


24 :  26,  27.]  ACTS  XXIV.  359 

2G  a  convenient  season,  I  will  call  thee  unto  me.  He 
hoped  withal  that  money  would  be  given  him  of  Paul : 
wherefore  also  he  sent  for  him  the  oftener,  and  com- 

27  muned  with  him.     But  when  two  years  were  fulfilled, 

dence  of  God,  lie  was  once  more  in  the  same  city  with  Paul.  Did  he 
then  avail  himself  of  that  'convenient  season'  ?  The  recording  angel 
alone  knows. 

Ver.  2(3.  He  hoped  withal  that  money  would  be  given 
him  of  Paul.  [And  Felix  forgets  and  loses  the  riches  of  the  Gos- 
pel, Bengel].  The  gi-eed  and  rapacity  of  so  many  of  these  lieuten- 
ants of  the  Empire  is  well  exemplified  in  this  episode.  These  men 
looked  upon  their  great  trusts  as  simply  mines  of  wealth  for  them 
to  work  as  best  they  could  for  their  own  advantage,  [as  some  of  the 
American  agents  to  the  Indians  used  to  regard  their  agencies].  So 
common  an  otfence  was  this  receiving  bribes  from  a  prisoner  among 
the  higher  Roman  officials,  that  a  special  law  was  framed,  expressly 
forbidding  a  judge  to  receive  pay  in  any  form  for  the  arrest,  acquittal, 
or  condemnation  of  any  individual  ( '  Lex  .Julia  de  repetundis ').  Felix 
had  heard  that  Paul  had  brought  with  him  sums  of  money  to  Jerusa- 
salem.  He  also  knew  that  there  were  Christians  at  Ctesarea,  and  no 
doubt  hoped  that  a  substantial  bribe  would  be  offered  for  the  prisoner's 
release. 

Ver.  27.  *"When  two  years  were  fulfilled.  It  was  in  the 
summer  or  autumn  of  a.  d.  GO  that  Felix  was  recalled  to  Rome.  This 
is  one  of  the  fixed  dates  in  Paul's  life.  How  Paul  spent  this  time  we 
can  only  conjecture.  No  doubt  he  often  met  Philip  and  his  four 
daughters  (Acts  21  :  8).  '  It  is  probable  that  he  continued  during  this 
confinement  to  superintend  his  churches  in  Asia  Minor  and  Greece 
through  delegates,  and  by  correspondence,  as  he  afterwards  did  at 
Rome'  (Schaff.  Apost.  Ch.). — Porcius  Festus.  Josephus  tells  us 
that  he  governed  his  stormy  province  with  a  wise,  firm  rule,  putting 
down  the  Sicarii  (assassins),  and  other  predatory  companies,  who  were 
then  harassing  Judrea.  He  finds  no  fault  with  Festus.  His  rule  un- 
fortunately was  prematurely  cut  short  by  death,  before  he  had  com- 
pleted his  second  year  of  office. — Felix  left  Paul  in  bonds.  Felix 
was  recalled  owing  to  grave  complaints  made  against  him  at  head- 
quarters. He  was  only  acquitted  through  the  influence  of  his  brother 
Pailas  at  the  imperial  court.  He  was  base  enough  to  endeavor  to 
conciliate  his  enemies  among  the  .Jews,  by  leaving  behind  him  in  their 
power  an  innocent  man  whom  he  knew  they  hated. 

*  Practical  Notes. — Men  listen  to  the  Gospel  preached  from  different  motives. 
Some  are  actuated  by  curiosity,  others  by  a  desire  to  be  respectable,  still  others  from 
an  aesthetic  impulse.  The  last  class  are  attracted  by  the  moral  beauty  of  Christ  and 
his  teachings,  as  well  as  by  the  general  aims  of  the  Gospel  Those  hearers  alone  are 
savingly  benefited  who   hearing  the  word  practise   it. — The  Christian  minister  id 


360  ACTS  XXIV.  [24 :  27. 

Felix  was  succeeded  by  Porcius  Festus ;  and  desiring 
to  gain  favour  Avith  the  Jews,  Felix  left  Paul  in  bonds. 

unfaithful  who  smooths  down  the  truth  to  suit  his  hearer's  fancies  and  follies.  Too 
many  seek  for  the  good  will  and  favor  of  their  hearers  to  the  disparagement  of  the 
truth.— The  Gospel  demands  repentance  as  well  as  faith.  It  condemns  sinning,  while 
it  promises  sanctification.  The  cry  of  John  the  Baptist  is  a  cry  too  apt  to  be  sup- 
pressed. It  is  easier  to  preach  about  the  love  of  Christ  than  to  call  upon  men  to  re- 
pent of  their  lusts  and  vanities.  Ah!  for  more  so  to  preach  the  truth  faithfully  and 
boldly  like  Paul.  Preachers  are  in  danger  of  flattering  the  great,  as  they  did  Louis 
XIY  in  France.  The  true  method  and  aims  are  to  preach  not  as  pleasing  men  but  as 
pleasing  God  (1  Thess.  2  :  4).  It  would  be  hard  to  compute  the  looseness  of  morals 
and  religion  which  has  followed  upon  the  failure  to  speak  out  boldly  the  word,  Eepent. — 
— "  There  is  a  twofold  power  of  conscience ;  Paul,  when  accused  and  called  upon  to  an- 
swer for  himself,  is  calm  and  courageous ;  Felix,  when  he  hears  Paul's  irrefutable 
reasoning  about  the  judgment  to  come  is  alarmed  and  trembles.  The  reason  is  that 
Paul  exercised  himself  to  please  God  and  to  have  a  conscience  void  of  offence  towards 
God  and  men.  Felix  followed  the  bent  of  his  own  lusts"  (Dr.Wm.  M.  Taylor;. — The 
procrastination  of  repentance  is  perilous.  Convictions  lose  their  sharpness  with  delay. 
The  longer  we  put  oft  acting  the  weaker  they  become.  Delay  itself  becomes  a 
habit,  and  habit  indulged  in  grows  stronger  and  more  imperious.  A  good  thought 
ought  to  be  announced  at  once.  The  words  of  Shakespeare  (Macbeth)  apply  to  many 
in  theii-  attitude  to  religious  concerns  : — 

To-morrow  and  to-morrow  and  to-morrow, 
Creeps  in  this  petty  pace  from  day  to  day, 
To  the  last  syllable  of  recorded  time, 
And  all  our  yesterdays  have  lighted  fools 
The  way  to  dusty  death. 

Every  moment  is  a  convenient  season  to  him  who  will  repent,  no  moment  to  him  who 
wishes  to  delay. — It  is  folly  to  suppose  that  it  will  be  easier  to  repent  at  some  future 
time.  The  love  of  sin  is  always  with  us,  and  it  may  be  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  will 
never  come  to  the  heart  with  such  keen  force  as  now. — Even  the  most  profligate  liber- 
tine may  be  terrified  by  appeals  to  his  conscience.  If  this  occurs  before  the  bar  ol 
man,  what  may  be  expected  to  occur  before  the  tribunal  of  God. — Felix  was  a  more 
hopeless  prisoner  than  Paul.  He  was  bound  by  chains  of  sin,  Paul  by  chains  of  iron. 
In  the  one  case  it  was  the  heart,  in  the  other  only  the  hand.  Paul  had  more  freedom 
than  Felix.  The  truth  had  made  him  free  from  the  bondage  of  iniquity. — Felix  and 
Paul  are  types  of  two  classes  of  men.  The  one  follows  a  broad  road,  pursues  pleaaure, 
becomes  the  slave  of  sin,  influences  none  for  good,  and  goes  from  bad  to  worse.  The 
other  takes  the  narrow  way,  practises  continence,  becomes  master  of  self  and  sm, 
turns  his  eye  towards  God,  breathes  more  and  more  the  atmosphere  of  the  heavenly 
country,  and  leaves  an  influence  which  charms  others  from  the  service  of  Satan  to  the 
love  and  service  of  Christ. 


25:  1-4.]  ACTS  XXV.  361 

Chapter  25 :  1-12. 
Paul  arraigned  before  Festus,  appeals  to  Ccesar. 
25 :  1      Festus  therefore,  'having  come  into  the  prov- 
ince, after  three  days  went  up  to  Jerusalem  from  Cses- 

2  area.     And  the  chief  priests  and  the  principal  men  of 
the  Jews  informed  him  against  Paul ;  and  they  be- 

3  sought  him,  asking  favour  against  him,  that  he  would 
send  for  him  to  Jerusalem;  laying  wait*  to  kill  him  on 

4  the  way.     Howbeit  Festus  answered,  that  Paul  was 
kept  in  charge  at  Csesarea,  and  that  he  himself  was 

1  Or,  having  er.tered  upon  his  province. 
*  For  ''laying  wait"  read  "laying  a  plot." — Am.  Com. 

Paul  arraigned  before  Festus,  appeals  to  Csesar,  vers.  1-12. 

Ver.  1.  Went. up  to  Jerusalem.  This  was  the  principal  city 
and  in  fact  the  capital  of  the  province,  but  tbe  Roman  officials  pre- 
fered  to  reside  at  Ceesarea. 

Ver.  2.  The  chief  priests  and  the  principal  men  of  the 
Je-ws  informed  him  against  Paul.  The  high  priest  at  tliis  time 
was  Ismael,  the  son  of  Phabi,  who  had  recently  been  appointed  by  Herod 
Agrippa  II.,  in  succession  to  that  Ananias  whom  Paul  addressed  as 
'  Thou  whited  wall '  (Acts  23  :  3).  There  were  also  others  who  had 
occupied  the  office  of  high  priest  and  been  deposed.  The  animosity 
toward  Paul  does  not  seem  to  have  abated  in  the  least,  and  the  high 
officials  now  pursue  similar  tactics  to  those  they  had  employed  two 
years  before. 

Ver.  3.  He  would  send  for  him  to  Jerusalem.  In  vers.  15, 
16,  Festus  relates  the  particulars  of  this  request  to  King  Agrippa. 
From  the  detailed  account,  it  seems  that  two  formal  requests  were  made 
to  him — first,  that  he  should  pronounce  a  condemnatory  judgment 
against  Paul ;  and  then,  this  request  being  refused,  on  the  ground 
that  such  a  condemnation  would  be  contrary  to  Roman  procedure  (ver. 
IG),  they  asked  that  Paul  might  be  formally  tried  before  their  national 
tribunal,  as  the  crimes  alleged  had  to  do  with  their  sacred  customs  and 
laws. — Laying  wait  to  kill  him  on  the  way.  This  design  was 
in  conformity  with  the  plot  laid  two  years  before  (Acts  23  :  12).  They 
intended  to  conceal  themselves  in  ambush  and  murder  Paul  on  the  way. 

*Ver.  4.  Paul  was  kept  in  charge  at  Caesarea.  1  his  is  an 
emphatic  statement.  The  procurator  hereby  denied  their  request. 
He  may  have  been  influenced  thereto  bj'  some  information  about  Paul 
which  had  been  imparted  lo  him  when  he  assumed  office  or  he  intended 
to  keep  free  from  a  perplexing  trial  at  Jerusalem,  if  possible,  and  pre- 
vent a  possible  occasion  of  tumult.  Festus  seems  to  have  been  a  wise 
and  firm  official. 


3G2  ACTS  XXV.  [25:  5-9. 

5  about  to  depart  thither  shortly.  Let  them  therefore, 
saith  he,  Avhich  are  of  power  among  you,  go  down  with 
mc,  and  if  there  is  anything  amiss  in  the  man,  let 
them  accuse  him. 

6  And  when  he  had  tarried  among  them  not  more 
than  eight  or  ten  days,  he  went  down  uj^to  Csesarea ; 
and  on  the  morrow  he  sat  on  the  judgement-seat,  and 

7  commanded  Paul  to  be  brought.  And  when  he  was 
come,  the  Jews  which  had  come  down  from  Jerusalem 
stood  romid  about  him,  bringing  against  him  many 
and  grievous  charges,  which  they  could  not  prove; 

8  while  Paul  said  in  his  defence,  Neither  against  the 
law  of  the  Jews,  nor  against  the  temple,  nor  against 

9  Caesar,  have  I  sinned  at  all.  But  Festus,  desiring  to 
gain  favour  with  the  Jews,  answered  Paul,  and  said, 
Wilt  thou  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  there  be  judged  of 

*Ver.  5.  If  there  is  anything  amiss  in  the  man,  let  them 
accuse  him.  Festus  assumed  tiie  only  proper  attitude.  A  trial  at 
Cffisarea  would  l)c  as  fair  as  one  at  .Jerusalem  and  a  criminal  act  could 
be  proved  as  well  in  his  presence  in  the  one  place  as  in  the  other.  As 
for  liimself,  he  was  ready  to  try  the  case  at  any  time. 

Ver.  7.  Many  and  grievous  charges,  which  they  could 
not  prove.  As  Festus  had  signified  (ver.  4),  he  speedily  went  down 
ai^ain  to  (^ogsarea ;  and  on  the  day  following  his  return  siimmoned 
Paul  before  him.  His  enemies  in  the  meantime  had  also  arrived. 
Without  doubt  the  charges  included  the  profanation  of  the  Temple, 
treason  against  the  state,  and  disturbance  of  the  peace  ;  but  all  these 
things  were  untrue,  and  the  Roman  evidently  believed  Paul's  denial 
of  any  treasonable  designs  against  the  emperor.  But  in  spite  of  his 
conviction  of  the  prisoner  s  innocence  of  what  he  naturally  deemed 
the  gravest  charge,  he  seems  to  have  felt  that  in  some  way  or  other 
the  accused  had  transgressed  the  regulations  of  the  .Jews,  and  that  it 
would  be  well  if  he  would  agree  to  be  handed  over  to  the  .Jewish 
courts. 

Ver.  8.  Paul  said  in  his  defence.  No  doubt  repieating  in 
the  main  the  arguments  briefly  reported  in  the  first  trial  before  Felix 
(24:   10-21). 

Ver.  9.  "Wilt  thou  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  there  be 
judged  ?  This  was  a  proper  and  politic  proposal.  There  was  no 
evidence  to  prove  the  charge  of  treason  or  sedition,  which  was  really 
all  Festus.  as  an  official  of  the  empire,  had  to  take  cognizance  of;  but 
he  wished  to  be  popular  with  the  leading  men  of  his  province,  and  so 


25:  10,  11.]  ACTS  XXV.  863 

10  these  things  before  me?  But  Paul  said,  I  am  stand- 
ing before  Caesar's  judgement-seat,  where  I  ought  to 
be  judged  :  to  the  Jews  have  I  done  no  wrong,  as  thou 

11  also  very  well  knowest.  If  then  I  am  a  wrong- 
doer, and  have  committed  any  thing  worthy  of  death, 
I  refuse  not  to  die :  but  if  none  of  those  things  is 
true  J  wdiereof  these  accuse  me,  no  man  can  ^give  me 

1  Gr.  grant  me  hy  favour :  aud  so  iti  ver.  IG. 

was  willing  to  have  the  charges,  which  related  exclusively  to  Jewish 
laws,  investigated  before  the  Sanhedrin,  he  himself,  however,  pro- 
mising to  be  present  at  the  trial.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  Festus  antici- 
pated what  the  reply  of  Paul  would  be,  but  he  wished  to  throw  as 
much  responsibility  as  possible  on  Paul,  and  so  relieve  himself  in  the 
opinion  of  the  .Jews.  He  well  knew  that  Paul  could  plead  his  privilege 
of  lloman  citizenship.  As  far  as  he  was  concerned,  the  .lewish  nota- 
bles would  be  able  to  see  that  no  obstacles  y^eve  thrown  by  him  in  the 
way  of  their  carrying  out  their  customs  and  rights. 

Ver.  10.  I  am  atauding  before  Caesai's  judgement-seat. 
The  prisoner's  reply  was  decisive.  Paul  felt  that  there  was  no  hope 
of  justice  for  him  before  the  Sanhedrin.  Perhaps  he  was  conscious 
that,  if  he  yielded,  he  would  never  stand  before  that  council  at  all, 
remembering  the  murderous  plot  he  had  escaped  two  years  before. 
He  may  even  have  received  warnings  of  the  lying  in  wait  mentioned 
in  ver.  3.  The  procurator  was  the  representative  of  the  Coesar  at 
Rome,  and  Syria  of  which  great  government  .Judaea  was  a  subdivision, 
was  an  imperial  province,  under  the  direct  rule  of  the  emperor. — To 
the  Jews  have  I  done  no  wrong,  as  thou  also  very  well 
kno"west.  The  Apostle's  meaning  was:  'My  offence,  if  I  have 
committed  an  offence,  is  against  the  majesty  of  the  Cfesar.  Let  him 
judge  me,  and  punish  me  if  I  am  guilty.  As  regards  the  Jews,  you 
know  too  well  I  am  perfectly  innocent.  Why  should  I  waive  then  my 
rights  as  a  Pioman,  and  submit  myself  to  their  tribunal,  which  only  takes 
cognizance  of  crimes  which  I  never  dreamt  of  committing?'  *Paul 
here  asserts  in  a  frank  and  manly  way  his  just  rights,  and  appeals  to 
the  official  conscience  of  the  Roman  officials,  who  had  no  right  to  play 
with  a  prisoner's  life.  We  cannot  help  but  admire  that  system  of  the 
Roman  law  which  made  it  possible  for  a  prisoner  to  rely  so  confidently 
upon  its  provisions.  The  officials  were  venal,  but  the  Roman  code  of 
law  was  grand. 

Ver.  11.  *I  refuse  not  to  die.  Paul  was  no  coward  afraid  to 
die  (Acts  21  :  13),  but  he  was  sufficiently  manly  to  assert  his  rights, 
and  refuse  to  be  a  victim  of  ignoble  and  rancorous  animosity. —  I 
appeal  unto  Caesar.  This  power  of  appealing  to  Rome  was  a 
privilege  of  ail  Roman  citizens,  and  a  great  safeguard  against  tyranny 


364  ACTS  XXV.  [25;  12. 

12  up  unto  them.  I  appeal  unto  Caesar.  Then  Festus, 
when  he  had  conferred  with  the  council,  answered, 
Thou  hast  appealed  unto  Caesar :  unto  Caesar  shalt 
thou  go. 

and  oppression  on  the  part  of  provincial  magistrates.  The  Julian  law 
forbade  any  unnecessary  impediment  being  put  in  the  way  of  a  citizen 
who  had  thus  appealed.  Some  years  later  we  read  in  the  letters  of 
the  Proconsul  Pliny  how  he  sent  to  Rome,  when  Trajan  was  emperor, 
those  Bithynian  Christians  who  had  appealed  as  Roman  citizens  to 
Caesar.  These  appeals  were  heard  in  Rome  by  men  of  consular  dignity 
specially  appointed  for  this  purpose.  We  may  well  suppose  that  Paul's 
determiuation  to  appeal  to  Csesar  was  suggested  by  the  special  promise 
(23  :  11)  that  he  should  bear  witness  to  the  Lord  in  Rome  before  he 
died,  and  was  strengthened  by  his  well-known  desire  to  go  there. 

Ver.  12.  When  he  had  conferred  -w^ith  the  council.  The 
council  consisted  of  certain  officials  whom  Suetonius  calls  consiUarii. 
These  advisers  were  taken  into  counsel  in  questions  of  difficulty.  Gloag 
refers  to  a  similar  case  when  Josephus  [Antiquities)  tells  us  that  the 
governor  (Cumanus)  took  counsel  with  his  friends  before  he  put  to 
death  a  Roman  soldier  who  had  wantonly  destroyed  the  sacred  books 
of  the  Jews  ;  and  to  another  like  incident  in  the  life  of  Cestius  Callus, 
the  Proconsul  of  Syria,  who,  on  receiving  contradictory  reports  from 
Florus,  the  Procurator  of  Judeea,  and  the  rulers  of  Jerusalem,  con- 
cerning certain  disturbances  among  the  Jews,  consulted  with  his  prin- 
cipal men,  that  is,  with  his  council  (Josephus,  Wars  of  the  Jews). — 
Unto  Caesar  shalt  thou  go.  The  Roman  Csesar  or  emperor  at 
this  time  was  Nero.  Bengel  sees  in  the  curt  phrase  an  intention  on 
the  part  of  Festus  of  alarming  the  prisoner,  who  had  declined  to  com- 
ply with  what  was  evidently  the  judge's  wish,  viz.,  to  waive  the  right 
of  his  citizenship  and  consent  to  be  tried  at  Jerusalem.  Without,  per- 
haps, quite  conceding  tl  is,  we  cannot  help  suspecting  that  over  the 
procurator's  face  something  like  a  smile  of  derision  p;isscd  when  he 
delivered  his  sentence.  Well  did  he  know  the  weary  delays  and  harsh 
treatment  such  a  prisoner  would  probably  meet  with  at  Rome. 

*  Practical  Xotes. — A  love  of  popularity  is  the  cause  of  much  compromise  -with 
sin.  Festus,  no  doubt,  was  thoroughly  convinced  of  Paul's  innocence.  But  in  order 
to  ciirry  favor  with  the  Jews  (ver.  9),  he  was  willing  to  do  an  act  of  injustice  and  try 
tlie  patience  of  an  innocent  man.  The  good  will  of  man  is  a  very  desirable  thing,  bnt 
popularity  gained  by  the  sacrifice  of  principle  is  a  poor  and  miserable  acquisition. 
Had  Closes  been  willing  to  so  secure  it,  there  would  have  been  no  Exodus  of  the 
child  I  en  of  Israel ;  and  if  Luther  had  so  done,  we  would  not  have  had  the  Protestant 
Reformation.  -Paul  also  appeals  to  Festus'  conscience  (ver.  10),  as  he  had  before  done 
to  the  conscience  of  Felix.  He  was  in  the  right,  and  therefore  both  these  governors 
were  abaslu'd  before  him,  a  prisoner.  Wickedness  does  in  the  long  run  bow  to  up- 
rightness, and  vice  slinks  away  before  virtue.    So  Felix  and  Festus  did  before  Paul, 


25 :  13.]  ACTS  XXV.  365 

Chapter  25:  13-22. 

Festus'   Conference  with  Agrippa, 

13      Now  when  certain  days  were  passed,  Agrippa  the 
king  and  Bernice  arrived  at   Caesarea,  ^and  saluted 

1  Or,  having  saluted. 

so  the  Pharisees,  who  accused  so  harshly  the  woman  taken  in  adultery  (John  8 :  9), 
did  before  Christ's  look. — A  Christian  has  a  right  to  the  protection  of  the  civil  j^ower 
(ver.  12). — Unnecessary  martyrdom  is  to  be  avoided  (ver.  11).  Paul  did  not  shrink 
from  death.  But  he  prized  his  life  and  did  not  recklessly  throw  it  away  Nothing 
eould  have  been  gained  by  his  appearing  before  the  Sanhedrin  again  and  being  torn 
in  pieces.  Did  not  the  Saviour  say :  '  When  they  persecute  you  in  one  city  flee  ye  into 
another.'  A  great  work  lay  yet  before  Paul  in  Rome,  and  had  he  not  appealed  to 
Caesar  and  gone  to  Rome,  we  should  not  have  had  the  Epistles  to  the  Ephesians,  Colos- 
sians,  Philippians,  Timothy,  etc.— The  great  tribunal  is  ahvay.s  open  to  us.  We  may 
be  beset  around  with  designing  enemies  and  ill  used,  but  there  is  justice  at  the  bar 
and  court  of  heaven. 

Festus'    Conference  with  Agrippa,  vers.  18-22, 

Ver.  13.  Agrippa  the  king  and  Bernice  arrived  at 
Caesarea.  King  Herod  Agrippa  II.,  son  of  Agrippa  I.,  who  died  so 
miserably  at  Coesarea  (12:  21-23),  and  great-grandson  of  Herod  the 
Great,  was  the  last  of  the  famous  Herodian  princes,  who  played  so 
distinguished  a  part  in  the  story  of  Israel  during  the  last  fifty  years 
of  the  existence  of  the  Jews  as  a  separate  nation.  He  was  only  seven- 
teen years  old  when  his  father  died.  The  young  prince  was  then  at 
Rome,  and  was  the  intimate  friend  of  the  imperial  family.  Claudius, 
the  emperor,  had  he  not  been  dissuaded  from  his  purpose  by  his  freed- 
men  and  counsellors,  would  have  at  once  appointed  him  to  the  royal 
succession  in  Judgea ;  but  it  was  urged  that  he  was  too  young  to  guide 
the  destinies  of  that  stormy  province,  but  in  about  four  years  he 
bestowed  on  him  Chalcis,  and  in  53  the  tetrarchy  of  Philip  and 
Lysanias  (Luke  3r  1),  with  the  title  of  king.  Agrippa  II.  fixed  his 
residence  at  Cresarea  Philippi,  which  he  enlarged  greatly  and  beauti- 
fied, and  subsequently  called  it,  in  honor  of  the  reigning  emperor, 
Neronias.  Nero,  on  his  accession,  had  also  shown  much  favor  to  the 
young  Jewish  sovereign,  and  added  to  his  dominions  the  city  of  Tibe- 
rias and  part  of  Galilee.  He  died  at  an  advanced  age,  having  survived 
the  fall  of  Jerusalem  many  years,  about  the  year  a.  d.  99.  His  beau- 
tiful sister  Bernice  has  earned  a  place  of  infamy  in  the  gallery  of  his- 
torical portraits  of  the  first  century.  Her  history,  even  in  that  di.sso- 
lute  and  wicked  age  reads,  to  use  the  graphic  words  of  Prof.  Plumptre, 
'  like  a  terrible  romance  or  a  page  from  the  chronicles  of  the  Borgias.' 
Married  at  an  early  age  to  her  uncle,  Herod,  king  of  Chalcis,  she  was 
left  a  widow  comparatively  young,  and  went  to  reside  with  her  brother. 


366  ACTS  XXV.  [25 :  14-18. 

14  Festus.  And  as  they  tarried  there  many  days,  Festus 
laid  PauFs  case  before  the  king,    saying,   There  is  a 

15  certain  man  left  a  prisoner  by  Felix  :  about  whom, 
when  I  Avas  at  Jerusalem,  the  chief  priests  and  the 
elders  of  the  Jews   informed  me,  asking  for  sentence 

16  against  him.  To  whom  I  answered,  that  it  is  not  the 
custom  of  the  Romans  to  give  up  any  man,  before 
that  the  accused  have  the  accusers  face  to  face,  and 
have  had  opportunity  to  make  his  defence  concerning 

17  the  matter  laid  against  him.  When  therefore  they 
were  come  together  here,  I  made  no  delay,  but  on  the 
next  day  sat  doAvn  on  the  judgement-seat,  and  com- 

18  manded  the  man  to  be  brought.     Concerning  whom, 

Agrippa  II,  Attracted  by  her  beauty  and  wealth,  Polemo,  king  of 
Cilicia,  adopted  the  Jewish  religion  and  made  her  his  wife.  But  the 
pi'incess  soon  deserted  him,  and  again  returned  to  her  brother,  with 
whom  it  is  said  she  lived  in  illicit  intercourse.  The  Emperor  Vespasian 
allowed  himself  to  be  much  influenced  by  her  beauty  and  talents,  and 
grave  suspicions  were  excited  that  a  too  close  intimacy  existed  between 
them  She  afterwards  became  the  mistress  of  Titus,  Vespasian's  son, 
who  took  her  to  Rome,  and  is  said  to  have  promised  to  wed  her.  A 
storm  of  public  indignation  at  the  bare  notion  of  such  an  alliance  in- 
duced him  at  the  eleventh  hour  to  dismiss  her — as  Suetonius  ( TiUis) 
pithily  puts  it.  '  Dimisit  invitus  invitam.' — Saluted  Festus.  The 
salutation  of  Festus  Avas  no  doubt  a  formal  visit  of  congratulation.  It 
was  important  for  the  vassal  kings  to  be  on  terms  of  intimacy  and 
close  friendship  with  the  powerful  Roman  governor  commanding  in 
the  provinces  of  which  they  were  nominally  sovereigns. 

Ver.  14.  There  is  a  certain  man  left  a  prisoner  by  Felix. 
It  has  been  stiggested  that  the  reason  of  this  communication,  was  a 
desire  to  interest  and  entertain  Agrippa;  but  it  is  simpler  to  suppose 
that  the  R,oman  governor  was  anxious  to  learn  more  of  the  man  and 
his  pretensions,  in  order  that  he  might  send  to  Rome  a  clear  and  defi- 
nite story  of  the  case.  He  felt  perhaps,  that  from  Agrippa  he  would 
g.et  to  the  bottom  of  the  reasons  of  the  hatred  of  the  Sanhedrin,  and 
the  seeming  obstinacy  of  Paul. 

Ver.  IG.  It  is  not  the  custom  of  the  Romans  to  give  up 
any  man,  etc.  The  Jews  had  asked  (ver.  3)  only  that  the  accused 
might  be  l)rought  to  Jerusalem,  intending  to  murder  him  on  the  way. 
These  words  of  Festus  must  relate  to  a  different  request  of  the  Jews, 
viz.  that  he  would  at  once,  without  any  further  hearing,  condemn  Paul 
to  death. 

Ver.  18.     They  brought  no  charge  of  such  evil  things  as  I 


25:  19-21.]  ACTS  XXV.  367 

when  the  accusers  stood  up,  they  brought  no  charge  of 

19  such  evil  things  as  I  supposed;  but  had  certain  ques- 
tions against  him  of  their  own  ^religion,  and  of  one 
Jesus,  who  was  dead,  whom  Paul  affirmed  to  be  alive. 

20  And  I,  being  perplexed  how  to  inquire  concerning 
these  things,  asked  whether  he  would  go  to  Jerusalem, 

21  and  there  be  judged  of  these  mattei-s.  But  when 
Paul  had  appealed  to  be  kept  for  the  decision  of  ^the 
emperor,  I  commanded  him  to  be  kept  till  I  should 

1  Or,  superstition.  2  Qr.  the  Augustus. 

supposed.  Festus  no  doubt  had  been  influenced  by  the  accusers  at 
Jerusalem,  to  suppose  Paul  guilty  of  sedition  and  disloyalty  to  the 
emperor,  but  he  discovered  that  the  charges  were  nothing  but  the 
vaguest  rumors,  and  that  the  real  points  urged  against  him  were  con- 
nected with  matters  devoid  of  interest  to  a  Roman. 

Ver.  19.  Certain  questions  against  him  of  their  own  reli- 
gion. These  he  cared  for  as  little  as  did  his  fellow  countryman 
Gallio  at  Corinth  (Acts  18:  17;.— Jesus,  who  was  dead,  whom 
Paul  affirmed  to  be  alive.  This  allusion  to  Jesus,  seems  to  indi- 
cate that  in  the  former  proceedings  much  had  been  said  not  recorded 
or  even  alluded  to  in  the  Acts.  It  is  evident  that  Paul  in  his  speech 
before  the  Sanhedrin,  had  spoken  of  Christ  and  connected  the  general 
subject  of  the  resurrection  with  his  resurrection. 

Ver.  20.  Asked  whether  he  would  go  to  Jerusalem,  etc. 
Festus  does  not  represent  the  whole  truth.  No  doubt  he  did  wish  to 
be  informed  more  fully  concerning  the  real  ground  of  the  bitter  enmity 
which  existed  between  Paul  and  the  Sanhedrin,  which,  he  felt,  was 
one  of  the  burning  questions  then  agitating  the  province  over  \\hich 
he  had  been  appointed  ruler.  It  behooved  him  as  a  wise  politician  to 
make  himself  acquainted  as  soon  as  possible  with  the  details  of  Chris- 
tianity. This  full  information  he  might  get  at  the  centre  of  Jewish 
life,  Jerusalem.  It  was  therefore  quite  true  to  allege  this  desire  to  get 
perfect  information,  as  the  reason  which  prompted  him  to  wish  to  have 
the  trial  conducted  by  the  Sanhedrin  in  Jerusalem.  But  he  kept  in 
the  background  another  powerful  motive,  his  own  desire  to  acquire 
popularity  among  the  Jews  (ver.  9). 

Ver.  21.  When  Paul  had  appealed,  etc.  There  is  evidently 
in  Festus'  words  an  under-current  of  a  not  unnatural  displeasure  at 
the  appeal  to  Cresar.  He  felt  obliged  to  grant  the  appeal,  still  it  was 
somewhat  of  a  slight  thrown  upon  him,  that  a  Roman  citizen  should 
prefer  the  imperial  tribunal  at  Rome  to  his  own.  It  had  been  his  pro- 
position to  remove  the  trial  to  Jerusalem  which  had  moved  the  prisoner 
to  take  this  step. — The  emperor.  The  Greek  word  so  translated 
means  literally  the  Venerable  or  the  Augustus  (see   margin).     This 


368  ACTS  XXV.  [25:  22-24. 

22  send  him  to  Csesar.  And  Agrippa  said  unto  Festus, 
I  also  ^  could  wish  to  hear  the  man  myself.  To-mor- 
row, saith  he,  thou  shalt  hear  him. 

Chapter  25  :  28-27. 
Paul  before  Agrippa. 

23  So  on  the  morrow,  when  Agrippa  was  come,  and 
Bernice,  with  great  pomp,  and  they  were  entered  into 
the  place  of  hearing,  with  the  chief  captains,  and  the 
principal  men  of  the  city,  at  the  command  of  Festus 

24  Paul  was  brought  in.  And  Festus  saith.  King 
Agrippa,  and  all  men  which  are  here  present  with  us, 
ye  behold  this  man,  about  whom  all  the  nuiltitude  of 

1  Or,  was  wishing. 

title  was  first  given  to  Octavian,  the  first  emperor  of  Rome,  and  became 
afterwards  a  usual  designation  for  the  emperor.  The  memory  of  this 
title  is  preserved  in  the  name  of  the  month  August,  and  of  the  cities 
of  Augsburg  and  Sebastopol  (Plumptre). 

Ver.  22.  I  could  wish  to  hear  the  man  myself.  Agrippa 
must  have  often  heard  of  Paul,  and  his  desire  to  hear  him  suggests  not 
only  a  curiosity  to  hear  something  about  Christianity  from  its  greatest 
advocate,  but  also  the  idea  of  Paul's  fame  and  eloquence. 

Paul  be/ore  Affrippa,  vers.  23-27. 

Ver.  23.  When  Agrippa  was  come,  and  Bernice,  w^ith 
great  pomp  The  account  here  reads  as  the  description  of  one  who 
had  witnessed  the  e/ents  of  that  day.  The  splendor  of  the  pro- 
cession and  the  glittering  appeai'ance  of  the  court,  Roman  and  Jew- 
ish guards,  and  the  Sanhedrin  officials,  must  have  been  very  imposing. 
The  same  city,  eighteen  years  before,  had  witnessed  a  still  more 
stately  scene,  when  the  father  of  this  king  was  stricken  by  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  as  a  punishment  for  his  pride  (Acts  12  :  23).  The  word 
translated  pomp  originally  meant  simply  '  appearance  or  show.' — 
With  the  chief  captains.  The  principal  officers  of  the  Roman 
garrison  of  Ctesarea,  the  headquarters  of  the  army  of  Judtea.  We 
have  here  one  of  the  direct  and  perhaps  earliest  fulfilments  of  the 
prophecy  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  his  servants,  '  Before  governors  and 
kings  shall  ye  be  brought  for  my  sake,  for  a  testimony  to  them '  (Matt. 
10:  18). 

Ver.  24.  About  whom  all  the  multitude  of  the  Jews  made 
suit  to  me.  Festus  believed,  and  with  some  reason,  that  the  feel- 
ing against  Paul  among  the  Jews  was  a  general  one.  Certainly  it  ex- 
isted to  a  great  extent  among  the  influential  men. 


25 :  25-27.]  ACTS  XXV.  369 

the  Jews  made  suit  to  me,  both  at  Jerusalem  and  here, 

25  crying  that  he  ought  not  to  live  any  longer.  Bat  I 
found  that  he  had  committed  nothing  worthy  of  death : 
and  as  he  himself  appealed  to  4he  emperor  I  deter- 

26  mined  to  send  him.  Of  whom  I  have  no  certain  thing 
to  write  unto  my  lord.  Wherefore  I  have  brought 
him  forth  before  you,  and  specially  before  thee,  king 
Agrippa,   that,   after  examination  had,  I  may  have 

27  somewhat  to  write.  For  it  seemeth  to  me  unreason- 
able, in  sending  a  prisoner,  not  withal  to  signify  the 
charges  against  him. 

1  Gr.  the  Augustus. 

Ver.  26.     Of  whom  I  have  no  certain  thing  to  write.     It 

was  the  rule  in  these  cases  of  appeal  to  the  emperor  to  transmit  a  de- 
tailed account  of  the  crime  alleged,  and  also  a  full  report  of  any  legal 
proceedings  "which  had  taken  place  in  connection  with  it.  Festus  was 
thoroughly  perplexed  in  the  case  of  Paul.  It  is  quite  clear  his  own 
feelings  led  him  to  look  on  his  prisoner  as  innocent,  but  the  reiterated 
pressure  for  his  condemnation  perhaps  led  him  to  suspect  that  there 
was  more  in  the  accusation  than  met  the  eye.  So  he,  therefore,  wel- 
comed the  assistance  of  one  so  well  versed  in  .Jewish  matters  as  Kin^ 
Agrippa.  "^The  words  do  not  necessarily  mean  anything  more  than 
that  Festus  had  no  specific  charge  against  Paul,  which  it  was  proper 
to  bring  to  the  cognizance  of  the  emperor. — Unto  my  Lord.  This  ex- 
pression {rutivp/G)),  is  a  proof  of  the  historical  accuracy  of  the  com- 
piler of  the  Acts.  A  few  years  earlier  such  a  title  used  of  the 
Caesar  at  Rome  would  have  been  a  mistake.  The  earlier  emperorj, 
Augustus  and  Tiberius  refused  this  appellation.  Augustus,  writes  Sue- 
tonius, always  abhorred  the  title  'lord  '  as  ill-omened.  Caligula  (37- 
41)  was  the  first,  apparently,  who  permitted  it.  Herod  Agrippa,  wo 
know,  used  it  to  Claudius  (41-51). 

Ver  27.  Not  withal  to  signify  the  charges  against  him. 
Festus  hoped,  and  not  withoirt  reason,  that  the  interview  before 
Agrippa  would  elicit  fresh  facts  hitherto  kept  in  the  background. 
At  all  events,  by  listening  to  the  proceedings,  the  Roman  official  felt 
he  personally  would  become  better  acquainted  with  the  secret  history 
of  the  whole  affair,  and  more  competent  to  write  a  definite  report  to 
the  authorities  at  home.  There  is  little  doubt  that  Festus  was  a  fair 
and  just  man  on  the  wliole.  In  all  the  proceedings  against  Paul  he 
betrayed  a  judicial  mind. 

*PRACTirAL  NoTE<!. — ITov.-  much  trouble  a  single  humble  man  gave  to  the  Jews  and 
the  Roman  courts !    This  was  not  because  he  attempted  to  stir  up  an  insurrection, 
nor  because  his  life  was  flagitious,  nor  because  he  haJ  ever  laid  violent  hands  on  any 
24 


ACTS  XXVI.  [26:  1. 


Chapter  26 :  1-23. 

PauVs  Defence  of  Christianity  before  Agrippa. 

26  1  And  Agrippa  said  unto  Paul,  Thou  art  permitted  to 
speak  for  thyself.  Then  Paul  stretched  forth  his  hand, 
and  made  his  defence  : 

individual.  His  only  crime  was  that  he  preached  the  resurrection  through  Christ, 
which  has  been  of  inexpressible  comfort  to  the  world  ever  since,  and  that  he  declared 
the  equality  of  all  peoples  in  the  sight  of  God,  which  no  one  in  the  Christian  world 
now  has  ihe  temerity  to  deny. — The  words  of  a  man  full  of  faith  have  attractions  even 
for  voluptuaries  like  Felix  and  kings  like  Agrippa  (vcr.  2:5  .— Ou'ward  pomp  is  often 
joined  with  inward  poverty  of  mind  and  chaiacter  (ver.  23).  The  gay  apparel  and 
lustrous  beauty  of  this  world  pa.ss  away,  but  the  Word  of  God  endureth  forever. 
Happv  are  they  Avho  have  charms  of  characier  and  liumility  of  mind,  for  of  such  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven. 

PauV s  Defence  of  Christianity  before  Agrippa,  vers.  1-23. 
Ver.  1.  Agrippa  said  unto  Paul,  etc.  On  this  occasion 
Agrippa,  invested  with  tlie  royal  dignit}^  although  only  a  subject 
monarch,  sat  in  the  president's  place  during  the  hearing.  He  opened 
the  proceedings  ;  but  it  is  noteworthy  that  the  king  does  not  say,  '  I 
permit  thee  to  speak,'  but,  'Thou  art  permitted;'  thus  courteously 
remembering  the  presence  of  the  Roman  procurator  Festus,  to  whom 
really  the  power  in  Ctesarea  and  Jerusalem  belonged.  The  prisoner 
Paul  on  this  occasion  was  not  pleading  before  his  judges :  liis  appeal 
to  Cjesar  had  removed  him  from  all  provincial  jurisdiction.  His 
speech  was  in  the  nature  of  a  private  and  informal  defence.— Paul 
stretched  forth  his  hand.  This  was  a  usual  gesture,  especially  of 
one  accustomed  to  address  masses  of  men  and  public  assemblies.  Here 
the  effect  must  have  been  impressive,  as  it  is  probable  that  from  the 
hand  which  he  raised  hung  one  of  the  chains  to  Avhich  he  refers  in 

verse  29. Made   his  defence      ^Vith  ai-guments  not  dissimilar  at 

first  sight  to  those  used  by  him  from  the  steps  of  the  Antonia  Tower 
(Acts  22).  On  both  occasions  he  rehearses  the  marvellous  story  of  the 
divine  appearance  which  led  to  his  conversion  ;  but  now  he  relates  the 
history  not  with  the  view  of  asserting  his  own  innocence  of  the  cliarges 
alleged  against  him,  but  to  show  the  grounds  which  led  him  to  preach 
the^Gospel.  Mr.  Humphry  well  summarizes  the  leading  differences 
between  the  two  speeches: — On  the  steps  of  Antonia  '  Taul  addressed 
the  infuriated  populace,  and  made  his  defence  against  the  charges,  with 
which  he  was  hotly  pressed,  of  profaning  the  Temple  and  apostatizing 
from  the  Mosaic  law.  He  now  passes  by  these  accusations,  and  ad- 
dressing himself  to  a  more  dispassionate  hearer,  takes  the  highest 
ground,  and  holds  himself  up  as  the  apostle  and  messenger  of  God. 
With  this  in  view,  therefore,  he  paints  in  more  striking  colors  the  awful 


26:  2-4.]  ACTS  XXVI.  371 

2  I  think  myself  liappy,  king  Agrippa,  that  I  am  to 
make  my  defence  before  thee  this  day  touching  all  the 

3  things  whereof  I  am  accused  by  the  Jews:  ^especially 
because  thou  art  expert  in  all  customs  and  questions 
which  are  among  the  Jews :  wherefore  I  beseech  thee 

4  to  hear  me  patiently.  My  manner  of  life  then  from 
my  youth  up,  w^hich  was  from  the  beginning  among 
mine  own  nation,  and  at  Jerusalem,  know  all  the  Jews ; 

1  Or,  because  thou  art  especially  expert. 

scene  of  his  conversion,  and  repeats  more  minutely  that  heavenly  call 
which  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  disobey,  and  in  obeying  which, 
though  he  incurred  the  displeasure  of  his  countrymen,  he  continued  to 
receive  the  divine  support'  (ver.  22).  This  famous  defence  of  Paul 
consists  of  four  divisions.  The  first  (vers.  2,  3)  consists  of  a  few  cour- 
teous words  of  address  to  the  distinguished  prince  before  whom  he  was 
summoned  to  plead  his  cause.  In  the  second  (vers.  4-8)  the  Apostle, 
after  glancing  at  certain  portions  of  his  own  early  career,  breaks  at 
once  into  the  all-important  subject  of  the  promised  Messiah.  In  th  ; 
third  (vers.  9-18j  he  relates  the  story  of  his  conversion  ;  and  in  the 
fourth  division  (vers.  19-23)  he  comes  back  to  his  own  work — the 
preaching  that  the  Messiah  had  come,  had  died,  and  had  risen  again. 

Ver.  2.  I  think  myself  happy,  king  Agrippa.  This  was  not 
flattery,  but  a  courteous  and  perfectly  true  reference  to  Agrippa" s 
thorough  knowledge  of  all  the  hopes  of  the  Jews.  The  accusations 
which  were  made  against  him  (Paul)  had  reference  to  these  hopes. 
Agrippa  could  follow  Paul  in  all  his  references  to  Jewish  beliefs  and 
expectations.  Paul's  opening  words  before  Felix  (Acts  24:  10)  were 
also  adorned  with  a  courteous  and  graceful  personal  reference  to  his 
judge. 

Ver.  3.  Thou  art  expert  in  all  customs  and  questions 
w^hich  are  among  the  Jevvs.  Agrippa  II.  was  especially  fitted  to 
act  as  judge  in  this  cause,  for  he  was  not  merely  a  ruler  of  Jewish 
lands,  and  the  appointed  guardian  of  the  Temple,  but  was  also  in  reli- 
gion, professedly  at  least,  a  Jew.  His  father,  Agrippa  I.,  was  famous 
for  his  rigid  observance  of  Jewish  rites,  and  professed  to  be  proud  of 
his  connection"  with  the  chosen  people.  The  rabbinic  writers  speak 
of  Agrippa  II.  as  having  attained  a  more  than  ordinary  knowledge  of 
the  Law  and  the  traditions,  and,  as  has  been  well  urged  by  Dr. 
Hackett,  '  the  representation  here  is  thus  confirmed  by  an  unexpected 
agreement.' 

Ver.  4.  My  manner  of  life  then  from  my  youth  up.  In 
this  and  the  next  verse  Paul  makes  a  strong  statement  about  his  train- 
ing and  sentiments  before  his  conversion,  showing  that  he  was  a  strict 
Jew  and  known  far  and  wide  as  such.    The  Jews  had  known  him  from 


ACTS  XXVI.  [26  :  5-7. 


5  having  knowledge  of  me  from  the  first,  if  they  be 
willing  to  testify,  how  that  after  the  straitest  sect  of 

6  our  religion  I  lived  a  Pharisee.  And  now  I  stand 
here  to  be  judged  for  the  hope  of  the  promise  made  of 

7  God  unto  our  fathers ;  unto  which  promise  our  twelve 
tribes,  earnestly  serving  God  night  and  day,  ho]  e  to 
attain.     And  concerning  this  hope  I  am  accused  by 

his  early  youth.  It  would  seem  that  Saul,  when  still  a  youth,  went 
from  Tarsus  to  complete  his  education  in  the  Holy  City,  in  the  school 
of  Gamaliel  (Acts  22:  8). 

Ver.  5.  *If  they  be  -willing  to  testify.  They  did  not  wish  to 
do  so,  because  they  well  knew  that  the  conversion  of  Paul,  as  well  as 
the  previous  estimation  in  which  he  had  been  held,  were  the  most 
effective  argument  for  the  truth  of  the  Christian  faith  (Bengel). — After 
the  straitest  sect  of  our  religion  I  lived  a  Pharisee.  That 
is,  'After  the  most  rigid  or  precise  school  of  our  religion.'  Paul  ex- 
presses the  same  i'lea  in  Phil.  3 :  8. 

Ver.  6.  -  The  hope  of  the  promise  made  of  God  unto  our 
fathers.  This  ^•.■as  not  merely  the  hope  of  the  resurrection,  but  of 
that  Messianic  kingdom  which  the  prophets  had  predicted,  and  of 
■which  Jesus  Christ  was  the  head. 

Ver.  7.  Unto  which  promise  our  twelve  tribes,  etc.  That 
is  to  the  fulfilment  and  realization,  of  which  promise,  etc.  Paul  had 
come  to  it  in  believing  on  Christ.  On  the  twelve  tribes,  Prof.  Plumptre 
says :  '  It  will  be  noted  that  Paul,  like  .lames  (.las.  1:1),  assumes  the 
twelve  tribes  to  be  all  alike  sharers  in  the  same  hope  of  Israel,  and 
ignores  the  legend  so  often  repeated  and  revived,  that  the  ten  tribes  of 
the  northern  kingdom  of  Israel,  after  they  had  been  carried  away  by 
Shalmaneser,  had  wandered  fir  away,  and  were  to  be  found  under 
some  strange  disguises,  in  far-off'  regions  of  the  world.  The  earliest 
appearance  of  the  fable  is  in  the  apocryphal  2  Esdras  xiii.  40-4!i, 
where  they  are  said  to  have  gone  to  "a  country  wh^re  never  mankind 
dwelt,  that  they  might  there  keep  the  statutes  which  they  never  ker>t 
in  their  own  land."  The  Apostle,  on  the  contrary,  represents  tlic 
whole  body  of  the  twelve  tribes  as  alike  serving  God  (with  the  special 
service  of  worship)  day  and  night.'  It  should  be  remembered  that  the 
words  of  Ezra  6:  17,  8:  35,  clearly  indicate  that  many  belonging  to 
the  'lost'  ten  tribes  must  have  returned  with  Judah  and  Benjamin, 
and  the  priests  and  Levites  (Ezra  1  :  5-11),  to  the  Land  of  Promise. — 
*  Serving  God  night  and  day.  That  is  without  ceasing,  continu- 
ally. Thus  it  is  said  of  Anna  that  she  served  God  with  fastings  and 
prayers  night  and  day  (Luke  2  :  37.  See  also  1  Tim.  5:5).  Some  of 
the  Temple  oificers  were  on  duty  during  the  night  as  well  as  the  day 
(1  Chron.  9  :  33).  and  it  was  well  understood  that  God  might  appear  in 
the  night  as  well  as  in  the  day  (1  Sam.  3  :  3;.     It  was  a  characteristic 


26:  8,  9.]  ACTS  XXVI.  373 

8  the  elews,  O  king!     Why  is  it  judged  incredible  with 

9  you,  if  God  doth  raise  the  dead  ?     I  verily  thought 
with  myself,  that  I  ought  to  do  many  things  contrary 

of  the  righteous  man  that  he  meditated  on  the  law  of  the  Lord  day  and 
night  (Ps.  1  :  2).  Compare  Ps.  134  :  1,  '  Bless  ye  the  Lord,  all  ye  ser- 
vants of  the  Lord,  -which  hy  night  stand  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.' — 
♦Concerning  this  hope  I  am  accused.  Strange  paradox! 
Paul  on  trial  for  the  very  thing  which  the  .Jews  emphasized  so  strongly 
and  believed  so  confidently,  and  put  on  trial  by  the  Jews  themselves  ! 

Ver.  8.  'Why  is  it  judged  incredible  with  you  if  God 
doth  raise  the  dead?  The  resurrection  was  the  central  fact  of 
Christianity  for  the  early  Christians  in  their  discussions  with  the  Jews. 
It  proved,  all  was  proved.  Festus  had  made  special  mention  of  Paul's 
belief  in  the  resurrection  to  Agrippa  (xVcts  25:  19).  The  connection 
here  apparently  is  as  follows  : — Paul  las  been  speaking  of  the  Hope 
which  Israel  cherished — the  centre  of  its  religious  worship.  '  Well, 
King  Agrippa,  it  is  in  connection  with  this  Hope  that  I  am  accused, 
because  I  say  the  Hope  is  now  accomplished.  ...  And  they  are 
quite  right  when  they  assume  I  believe  it  to  have  been  accomplished  in 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  suffering  and  triumphant  Messiah  of  the  pro- 
phets. These  my  brother  Jews  will  not  believe  in  this  resurrection, 
though  I  have  seen  him  and  heard  his  voice,  and  so  has  many  another. 
Why  will  they  not  believe?  Is  it  then  with  them,  with  yov.  King 
Agrippa,  a  thing  incredible  that  God  should  raise  the  dead?  Has  this 
strange  marvel  been  unknown  in  the  past  history  of  our  race?'  He 
referred  to  such  incidents  as  1  Kings  17:  17-23;  2  Kings  4 :  18-37, 
13:  21. 

Yer.  9.  *I  verily  thought  with  myself.  He  acted  conscien- 
tiously (Acts  23  :  1).  The  words  have  a  tone  of  considerate  sympathy 
(Plum[)trc).  Paul,  too,  had  been  as  bitterly  disposed  towards  Jesus  as 
any  of  his  accusers,  but  his  own  experience  forbade  his  despairing  of 
their  transition  and  Agrippa's  to  the  faith  of  the  Gospel.* — I  ought 
to  do  many  things  contrary  to  the  name  of  Jesus.  Names 
are  often  used  to  express  the  personality  and  character.  In  the  0.  T. 
the  names  Abraham,  Israel  (Gen.  32:  28),  Joshua  (Numb.  13:  1(5  , 
Ichabod  (1  Sam.  4:  21),  etc.,  are  indicative  of  some  personal  charac- 
teristic. The  names  of  God  in  the  0.  T., — Elohim,  Jehovah,  etc.,  are 
full  of  significance.  "The  name  of  God"  is  an  expression  frequently 
used,  which  signifies  as  much  as  the  power  of  God,  Ps.  75 :  1  ; 
Jer.  l4 :  9,  etc.  The  expression  name  of  Jems  is  frequently  used  in 
the  Acts.  Believers  are  said  to  be  baptized  into  the  name  of  Christ 
(Acts  2:  28).  Miracles  were  performed  in  his  name  (Acts  3:  6). 
Paul  was  commissioned  to  carry  his  name  before  Gentiles  and  kings 
(Acts  9:  15).  The  Apostles  are  said  to  have  hazarded  their  lives 
(Acts  15  ;  26),  or  laid  them  down,  for  this  name  (Acts  21 :  13)  etc. 


374  ACTS  XXVI.  [26:  10. 

10  to  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  And  this  I  also 
did  in  Jerusalem:  and  I  both  shut  up  many  of  the 
saints  in  prisons,  having  received  authority  from  the 
chief  priests,  and  when  they  were  put  to  death,  T  gave 

Ver.  15.  This  I  also  did  in  Jerusalem.  Probably  referring 
especially  to  his  share  in  the  martyrdom  of  Stephen,  when  '  the  wit- 
nesses laid  down  their  garments  at  the  feet  of  the  young  man  named 
Saul'  (Acts  7:  58),  when  Saul  was  consenting  unto  his  death  (8:  1); 
and  also  to  his  conduct  shortly  after,  when  '  Saul  laid  waste  the 
church,  entering  into  every  house,  and  haling  men  and  women  com- 
mitted them  to  prison'  (8:  3.)— I  both  shut  up  many  of  the 
saints  in  prisons.  The  term  saints  [rtjv  ayiuv)  used  here  in  such 
a  place  seems  at  first  sight  remarkable.  When  recounting  the  scenes 
of  his  early  life  to  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  (22:  4,  5),  he  also  spoke  of 
the  men  and  women  he  had  delivered  into  prison,  some  of  whom  he 
had  '  persecuted  unto  the  death.'  But  he  carefully  avoided  using  an 
expression  of  reverential  admiration  which  might  arouse  their  wrath 
against  the  sect  of  whom  they  were  so  unreasonably  jealous ;  but  now, 
speaking  before  men  of  the  world  like  Agrippa  and  Festus,  he  gives 
these  martyrs  a  title  of  honor  which  aggravated  his  own  guilt  as  their 
persecutor.  Indeed,  as  it  has  been  well  remarked,  the  bold  tone  of 
the  whole  of  this  speech  sounds  less  like  the  words  of  a  prisoner  de- 
fending himself,  than  of  a  fearless  advocate. — "When  they  Tvere 
put  to  death.  The  Acts  only  mentions  one  public  execution  in  this 
bitter  persecution,  that  of  Stephen ;  but  the  words  used  here,  *  when 
they  were  put  to  death; '  the  expression:  '  I  persecuted  this  Way  unto 
the  death'  (22  :  4) ;  and  '  Saul,  yet  breathing  threatening  and  slaugh- 
ter against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord'  (9:  1),  lead  us  decidedly  to  con- 
clude that  others  besides  Stephen  witnessed  unto  death. — I  gave  my 
vote  against  them.  This  assertion  has  been  taken  as  a  proof 
that  Paul  had  been  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin.  The  words  may, 
however,  simply  imply  that  he  had  been  a  member  of  some  tribunal 
acting  under  the  dii-ection'  of  the  supreme  council.  Though  possible, 
it  is  doubtful  if  the  young  man  Saul  ever  had  a  seat  in  the  Sanhedrin, 
for — {a)  granting  the  most  extended  conception  of  the  expression 
'  young  man,'  the  age  of  Saul  would  hardly  have  warranted  his  occu- 
pying a  sea  in  that  grave  assembly  of  elders ;  {h)  tradition  declares 
that  one  oft  the  necessary  qualifications  of  membership  was  that  the 
party  should  be  married  and  have  a  family,  as  it  was  supposed  that 
one  who  was  a  father  himself  would  be  more  inclined  to  temper  justice 
with  mercy.  There  is  nothing  which  would  lead  us  to  suppose  that 
Paul  was  ever  married.  This  statement  is  too  strong.  *The  view  that 
Paul  was  married  has  recently  been  advocated  by  Ewald  and  Canon 
Parrar  {Life  of  St.  Paul,  I.  pp.  78.  sqq).  The  latter  urges  the  high  re- 
gard in  which  the  marriage  relation  was  held  by  the  Jews  and  the 
great  importance  they  attached  to  it,  as  well  as  1  Cor.  7 :  8,  in  which 


26:11,12.]  ACTS  XXVI.  375 

11  my  vote  against  them.  And  punishing  them  often- 
times in  all  the  synagogues,  I  strove  to  make  them 
blaspheme;  and  being  exceedingly  mad  against  them, 

12  I  persecuted  them  even  unto  foreign  cities.      ^  Where- 

1  Or,  On  which  errand. 

Paul  seems  to  class  himself  with  widowers,  understanding  the  expres- 
sion unmarried  to  mean  widowers.  The  excellent  descriptions  Paul 
gives  of  a  well-ordered  household,  and  his  wise  counsels  to  husbands 
and  wives  have  also  been  urged.  But  while  Paul  claimed  the  right  to 
lead  a  married  life  (1  Cor.  9  :  5),  he  evidently  regarded  the  unmarried 
state  as  the  better  adapted  for  his  work,  and  the  passage  1  Cor.  7  :  8 
by  no  means  necessarily  implies  that  Paul  was  a  widower. 

Ver.  11.  Punishing  them  oftentimes  in  all  the  syna- 
gogues. This  alludes,  no  doubt,  not  only  to  the  many  synagogues  in 
Jerusalem  (chap,  ti :  9),  hut  to  the  synagogues  situated  in  the  diiferent 
places  whither  he  was  sent  by  the  Sanhedrin  in  his  work  of  persecu- 
tion. It  was  on  his  way  to  visit  the  synagogues  in  Damascus  that  the 
Lord  met  him. — ^  I  strove  to  make  them  blaspheme.  That  is, 
to  renounce  their  faith  in  Christ  and  join  with  himself  in  declaring 
him  an  impostor.  It  does  not  follow  that  any  of  the  believers  yielded. 
— Being  exceedingly  mad  against  them.  No  language  seems 
too  strong  for  the  brave  Christian  advocate  to  use  concerning  himself 
and  his  former  conduct  towards  those  men  and  women  whose  fellow- 
believer  he  now  professed  himself  to  be.  How  he  once  had  spurned 
these  poor  persecuted  saints,  how  loathed  their  cause  I  His  whole 
life  was  devoted  to  the  work  of  stamping  out  the  devotion  to  One  who 
had  been  crucified,  and  who  these  deluded  men  and  women  affirmed 
had  risen  again.  "V^'^hat  now  had  changed  the  life-purpose  of  this  en- 
thusiastic Pharisee?  We  can  fancy  a  hush  falling  over  the  brilliant 
assembly,  as  Paul,  after  closing  this  portion  of  his  speech  with  the 
words  telling  of  his  journeying  forth  to  strange  cities  to  hunt  down  the 
believers  on  Jesus,  being  exceedingly  mad  against  them,  paused  doubt- 
less for  an  instant  before  telling  King  Agrippa  u-hai  had  effected  the 
change  in  him. — Even  unto  fore  gn  cities..  Among  these,  Da- 
mascus is  specially  singled  out  for  mention,  for  it  was  the  last  on  the 
inquisitor's  list  wlrich  was  visited. 

Ver.  12.  As  I  journeyed  to  Damascus,  etc.  This  is  the 
third  account  contained  in  the  Acts  of  Paul's  conversion,  the  other  two 
being  in  chaps.  9  and  22.  It  contains  three  noticeable  details  which 
do  not  appear  in  the  two  other  accounts  ;  (1)  The  overpowering  glory 
of  the  light  is  here  dwelt  upon  in  a  special  manner.  It  exceeded  even 
the  brightness  of  an  Oriental  sun  at  noon,  (2)  The  voice,  we  are  told 
here,  spoke  to  Saul  in  the  Hebrew  tongue.  (3)  The  addition  of  the 
proverb  so  well  known  in  classical  literature,  '  It  is  hard  for  thee  to 
kick  against  the  goad.' 


37G  ACTS  XXVI.  [26:  13-lG. 

upon  as  I  journeyed  to  Damascus  with  the  authority 

13  and  commission  of  the  chief  priests,  at  midday,  O  king, 
I  saw  on  the  way  a  light  from  heaven,  above  the 
briglitness  of  the  sun,  shining  round  about  me  and 

14  them  that  journeyed  with  me.  And  when  we  were  all 
fallen  to  the  earth,  I  heard  a  voice  saying  unto  me  in 
the  Hebrew  language,  Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest 
thou  me?  it  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the  ^goad. 

15  And  I  said,  Who  art  thou.   Lord?     And  the  Lord 

16  said,  I  am  Jesus  whom  thou  persecutest.  But  arise, 
and  stand  upon  thy  feet :  for  to  this  end  have  I  ap- 
peared unto  thee,  to  appoint  thee  a  minister  and  a 

1  Gr.  goads. 

Ver,  13.     *A  light  from  heaven  above  the  brigbtness  of 

the  sun.  In  chap.  9  :  8  this  radiance  is  called  simply  '  a  light  out 
of  heaven  ; '  in  22  :  6  '  a  great  light  from  heaven,'  but  here  it  is  com- 
pared with  the  midday  sun  and  declared  to  have  been  more  luminous 
than  it.  This  was  the  'glory  of  God'  which  Stephen  in  his  dying 
moments  saw.  God  dwelleth  in  light  which  no  man  can  approach 
unto.  The  face  of  Christ  was  so  radiant  on  the  Mt.  of  Transfiguration 
that  the  Evangelist  compared  it  to  the  shining  of  the  sun,  and  his  gar- 
ments, he  says,  were  white  as  the  light  (Matt.  17:  2.)  We  may  also 
illustrate  this  brightness  by  the  expression  of  the  Epistle  to  the  He- 
brews (1:  3),  where  Christ  is  called  'the  effulgence  of  the  Father's 
glory,' — *It  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the  goad.  This 
proverb  was  well  known  in  classical  writers,  and  used  by  Pindar,  ^s- 
chylus,  Euripides,  Plautus  and  Terence.  It  is  derived  from  oxen  at 
the  plough,  which  were  urged  on  with  the  goad,  which  was  used  in- 
stead of  a  whip.  Its  meaning  here  is  obvious.  It  was  useless  and 
injurious  to  resist  Christ  by  persecuting  his  disciples.  Plumptre  sug- 
gests with  great  force  that  there  had  been  '  promptings,  misgivings, 
warnings,  which  Paul  had  resisted  and  defied.  Among  the  causes  of 
these  we  may  reckon  the  counsel  of  Gamaliel  (Acts  6:  34—39),  the 
angel  face  of  Stephen  and  his  dying  prayer  (6:  15;  7:  60),  and  the 
daily  spectacle  of  those  who  were  ready  to  go  to  prison  and  to  death, 
rather  than  renounce  Christ.  In  the  frenzy  of  his  zeal  he  had  tried 
to  crush  these  misgivings,  and  the  effort  to  do  so,  had  brought  with  it 
discomfort  and  disquietude  which  made  him  more  exceeding  mad 
against  the  disciples.' 

Ver.  16.  To  this  end  have  I  appeared  unto  thee,  to  ap- 
point thee  a  minister  and  a  ■witness,  etc.  The  words  were 
reassuring;  the  awe-struck  man  might  arise  without  fear.  The  divine 
One,  whom,  not  knowing,  he  had  opposed  with  so  intense  a  purpose, 


26:  17-18.]  ACTS  XXVI.  377 

witness  both  of  the  things  ^wherein  thou  hast  seen  me, 
and  of  the  things  wherein   I  will  appear  unto  thee ; 

17  delivering  thee  from  the  people,  and  from  the  Gentiles, 

18  unto  whom  I  send  thee,  to  open  their  eyes,  ^that  they 
may  turn  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power 
of  S-i.tan  unto  God,  that  they  may  receive  remission  of 
sins  and  an  inheritance  among  them  that  are  sanctified 

1  Many  ancient  authorities  read  which  thou  hast  seen.    2  Or,  to  turn  them. 

cherished  no  feeling  of  -wrath  against  him;  on  the  contrary,  he  had 
chosen  him  for  a  great  work.  Saul  the  Pharisee  was  to  bear  witness 
not  only  of  the  present  sublime  scene,  but  also  to  tell  out  to  the  world, 
to  Jew  and  Gentile,  the  story  of  revelations  which  would  be  made  to 
him  in  coming  days.  Notably  these  future  revelations  referred  in  the 
first  instance  to  those  special  appearances  of  the  Lord  to  Paul  in  visions 
and  trances  (22:  17-21;  2  Cor.  12:  1-5);  but  the  reference  to  'the 
things  wherein  I  will  appear  unto  thee,'  really  was  to  those  great  sum- 
maries of  divine  truth  which  Paul  put  out  in  after  days,  in  the  form  of 
Epistles  to  the  Gentile  churches.  God  indeed  uppea,ed  to  laid  and 
guided  his  thoughts.  It  was  of  thcf^e  appearances  in  after  years  that 
Paul  was  to  be  the  witness — not  only  to  Roman  governors  and  Jewish 
kings,  but  to  nations  yet  unborn,  in  lands  still  undiscovered.  In  the 
midst  of  all  his  sufferings  and  bitter  persecutions,  oftej  cruelly  misun- 
derstood, forsaken,  and  deserted  not  once  or  twice  by  his  own  friends 
and  converts,  the  scene  he  had  witnessed  on  the  way  to  Damascus  was 
ever  present  to  his  mind. 

Ver.  17.  Delivering  thee  rrom  the  people,  and  from  the 
Gentiles,  unto  -whom  I  send  thee.  This  promise  no  doubt  helped 
to  encourage  Paul  in  the  midst  of  the  most  urgent  perils.  Strong  in 
the  conviction  that  he  had  a  mighty  work  to  work,  and  that  while 
engaged  in  it — like  Elisha  of  old — he  would  be  encompassed  with  a 
heavenly  guard  and  directed  by  a  heavenly  guidance,  he  resisted  the 
repeated  warnings  of  dear  friends -some  of  them  endowed  with  the 
gift  of  prophecy — who  tried  to  dissua  le  him  from  the  dangerous  jour- 
ney to  Jerusalem  (Acts  21:  11)  which  had  resulted  in  this  present 
captivity,  and  brought  him  in  the  end  a  prisoner  to  Rome.  How  often 
in  that  harassed  life  of  his,  so  touchingly  described  in  his  own  words 
in  2  Cor.  6:  4-10;  11 :  23-27,  must  this  sure  promise  have  cheered 
him  with  a  voice  not  of  this  world  ! 

Ver  18.  To  open  their  eyes,  that  they  may  turn  from 
darkne>s  to  light.  The  beautiful  words  of  Isaiah's  prophecy  (42  : 
6-16)  of  the  Messiah's  work  seem  to  ring  in  our  ears  as  we  read  these 
words.  Read  now  in  the  light  which  the  history  of  eighteen  centuries 
of  the  struggles  of  Christianity  flings  over  the  old  Hebrew  prophecies, 
one  marvels  at  the  strange  blindness  which  came  over  the  Jewish  peo- 


378  ACTS  XXVI.  [2G :  19, 20. 

19  by  faith  in  me.      Wherefore,  O  king  Agrippa,  I  was 

20  not   disobedient  unto    the   heavenly  vision :    but   de- 
clared both  to  them  of  Damascus  first,  and  at  Jeru- 

ple  when  their  Messiah  visited  them,  and  which  induced  them  to  hin- 
der in  every  possible  way  his  work.  The  two  great  features  in  Christ's 
life  and  work  which  repelled  his  own  people  were — (1)  that  he  pre- 
sented the  true  image  of  a  suffering  Messiah,  and  (2)  that  his  kingdom 
was  not  intended  to  be  confined  to  the  Jews  nor  to  the  Holy  Land,  but 
to  include  all  nations  and  countries  of  the  world.  And  this  is  exactly 
what  their  own  prophets  had  foretold.  *The  Gospel  is  an  era  of  light. 
Christ  himself  is  the  Light  of  the  world,  and  came  to  dispense  light  to 
the  world  (Luke  2 :  32).  The  world  without  the  Gospel  lies  enveloped 
in  the  darkness  of  sin  and  ignorance.  Christ  delivers  the  believer 
from  the  power  of  darkness  into  his  own  kingdom  (Col.  1  :  13).  God 
calls  us  out  of  darkness  into  his  marvellous  light  (1  Pet.  2  :  9).  The 
term  darkness  is  figurative  for  mental  and  moral  obscuration,  disobe- 
dience and  ignorance.  Light  is  figurative  also  of  holiness  and  spiritual 
knowledge. — *From  the  pow^er  of  Satan  unto  God.  Satan  rules 
over  a  kingdom  (Matt.  12  :  26)  hostile  to  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  world 
lieth  under  his  dominion  (1  John  5  :  19).  He  is  called  the  prince  (John 
12 :  31 )  andthe  god  of  this  world  (2  Cor.  4:4).  It  was  to  destroy  the  do- 
minion and  desolations  of  Satan  that  Christ  came  into  the  world  (1  John 
3:8).  On  the  other  hand,  God  is  light,  and  in  him  is  no  darkness  at  all  (1 
John  5:8).  In  conversion  we  pass  from  under  the  dominion  and 
service  of  Satan  unto  the  dominion  and  service  of  God  which  is  perfect 
freedom. — That  they  may  receive  remission  of  sins,  etc.  The 
peoples  who  had  hitherto  sat  in  darkness  and  in  the  shadow  of  death, 
were  to  be  guided  into  a  knowledge  of  their  state,  of  their  slavery  to 
sin,  of  the  impossibility  of  their  being  able  to  help  or  redeem  them- 
selves. Their  eyes  were  to  be  opened.  This  was  the  first  step.  The 
second  was  to  tell  them  to  turn  from  Satan  to  God.  The  third  step  was 
to  receive  forgiveness  of  all  sin.  The  closing  words  tell  us  that  these 
results  were  to  be  produced  by  faith,  in  its  highest  sense  of  loving 
trust,  entire  child-like  confidence  in  Jesus,  the  crucified  and  risen  one. 

Ver.  19.  I  was  not  disobedient  unto  the  heavenly  vision. 
Commentators  well  call  attention  here  to  Paul's  emphatic  testimony 
respecting  the  freedom  of  the  human  will.  This  was  clearly  taught  in 
the  old  Hebrew  Scriptures  in  such  grave  and  momentous  passages  as, 
*  See,  I  have  set  before  thee  this  day  life  and  death,  good  and  evil.  .  .  . 
But  if  thine  heart  turn  away,  so  that  thou  wilt  not  hear '  etc.,  (Deut.  30 : 
15-17) ;  and  here  Paul,  in  his  declaration  that  he  was  not  disobedient 
to  the  heavenly  will,  intimates  that  it  would  have  been  possible  for 
him  to  resist  that  will.  Divine  grace  is  not  irresistible;  it  is  an  awful 
thought  that  a  time  may  come  in  the  life  of  every  man  and  woman, 
when  the  last  promptings  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  may  be  quenched. 

Ver.  20.     Declared  both  to  them  of  Damascus.     The  verb 


2G:  21,22.]  ACTS  XX VI.  379 

salem,  and  throughout  all  the  country  of  Judaea,  and 
also  to  the  Gentiles,  that  they  should  repent  and  turn 

21  to    God,  doing  works  worthy  of  ^repentance.     For 
this  cause  the  Jews  seized  me  in  the  temple,  and  as- 

22  sayed  to  kill  me.     Having  therefore  obtained  the  help 
that  is  from  God,  I  stand  unto  this  day   testifying 

'     both  to  small  and  great,  saying  nothing  but  what  the 

1  Or,  their  repentance. 

in  the  original  Greek  is  in  the  imperfect,  and  implies  a  continued 
activit J  :  '  I  kept  on  declarmg.*  We  have  no  difficulty  in  tracing  the 
Story  of  Paul's  preaching  at  Damascus  and  Jerusalem.  We  know 
from  Barnabas'  testimony  that  he  preached  boldly  at  Damascus  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  (Acts  9  :  27),  and  that  in  Jerusalem  he  disputed  against 
the  Grecian  Jews  (9:  28,  29),  but  we  have  some  difficulty  in  exactly 
fixtng-fhe  date  of  the  preaching  throughout  all  the  country  of  Judaea. 
Dr.  Hackett  suggests  that  this  part  of  the  work  of  Paul  was  carried  on 
when  he  went  to  the  Holy  Land  at  the  time  of  the  famine  (11  :  30),  or 
while  he  was  at  Jerusalem,  between  his  first  and  second  missions  to 
the  Heathen  (18:  22).— *  That  they  should  repent,  etc.  In  this 
and  the  next  two  clauses  Paul  indicates  accurately  the  three  stages  of 
a  genuine  Christian  life:  (1)  contrition  for  past  sins  as  acts  of  diso- 
bedience to  God  ;  (2)  turning  unto  God,  which  includes  faith  and  an 
eamestUesire  to  do  His  will ;  and  (3)  an  upright  Christian  life,  giving 
evidence  by  deeds  that  the  heart  has  truly  repented  or  turned  unto 
God. — Works  worthy  of  repentance.  Here  Paul,  as  was  his 
custom  always  in  his  teaching,  is  careful  to  show  that  his  theology  was 
something  more  than  a  creed  ;  it  was  a  life.  It  was  by  no  means 
enough  that  the  Jew  should  profess  sorrow  for  the  past  for  his  rejec- 
tion of  the  risen  Messiah — not  sufficient  that  the  Pagan  should  desert 
the  altars  of  his  many  gods  for  the  simple  worship  of  the  Christians  in 
their  'upper  room,'  if  they  did  not  at  the  same  time  change  their  way 
of  living.  The  expression,  '  works  woilhy  of  repentance,'  apparently 
was  one  of  John  the  Baptist's  favorite  sayings  (Matt.  3  :  8). 

Ver.  21.  The  Jews  seized  me  in  the  temple.  That  is,  first, 
because  he  went  about  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  especially  because  he 
delivered  the  message  to  the  Gentiles  as  well  as  to  the  Jews,  thereby 
proclaiming  that  in  the  Messiah's  kingdom  there  would  be  no  differ- 
ence on  account  of  nationality.  The  unpardonable  sin  of  Paul  in  the 
eyes  of  the  Jews  was  that  he  had  preached  a  free  Gospel  to  the 
Gentiles. 

Ver.  22.  Having  obtained  the  help  that  is  from  God. 
The  memories  of  Lystra  and  the  rain  of  cruel  stones  ;  the  persecutions  of 
Philippi,  Corinth ,  and  Thessalonica ;  the  danger  in  the  theatre  of  Ephesus 
and  the  later  deadly  perils  at  Jerusalem, — the  thoughts  which  crowded 


380  ACTS  XXVI.  [2G :  2;]. 

23  prophets  and  Moses  did  say  should  come ;  ^  how  that 
the  Christ  ^must  suffer,  and  Miow  that  he  first  by  the 
resurrection  of  the  dead  should  proclaim  light  both  to 
the  people  and  to  the  Gentiles. 

lOr,  if  Or,  whether,    2  Or,  is  subject  to  suffering. 

round  him  when  he  penned  the  fourth  and  eleventh  chapters  of  the 
second  Corinthian  letter  (4:  7-12;  11:  23-27), — prompted  this  ex- 
pression of  calm,  unruffled  confidence  in  the  arm  of  the  Lord,  ever 
stretched  out  to  guard  and  keep  His  faithful  servant. — Testifying 
botH  to  small  and  great.  Rank,  not  age,  is  here  meant.  We 
naturally  think  of  Sergius  Paulus  the  proconsul  at  Cyprus  (Acts  13 : 
7),  Felix,  Agrippa  himself,  and  others.  Christianity,  as  regards  the 
future  life,  ignores  all  class  distinctions.  The  learned  and  unlearned, 
high-born  and  low-born,  bond  and  free,  rich  and  poor,  stand  on  an 
equal  footing  in  the  Gospel.  The  only  distinction  was  the  distinction 
of  character. — Nothing  but  what  the  prophets  and  Moses 
did  say  should  come.  Out  of  the  Old  Test,  he  showed  that  the 
sufferings,  death,  and  resurrection  of  Christ  were  in  exact  accordance 
with  the  predictions  and  types  of  Moses  and  the  prophets. 

Ver.  23.  That  the  Christ  must  suffer,  etc.  Paul  here  touches 
upon  three  of  the  great  questions  at  issue  between  the  Jew  and  the 
Cln-tstian  :  1.  This  expected  One  of  Moses  and  the  Prophets  v/as  to  be 
not  only  a  triu'mjjhant — such  as  the  Jews  loved  to  dwell  on — but  a 
suffering  Messiah.  2.  He  was  to  be  the  first-begotten  from  the  dead,  the 
second  Adam — ^the  one  who  (as  Lange  well  puts  it)  should  begin  a 
series  of  developments  of  life  and  resurrection  for  the  benefit  of  man- 
kind (1  Cor.  15  :  20  flP.  and  45  ff. ;  Rom.  5  :  17,  18).  3.  B[e_should  be 
the  Herald  of  life  and  light  not  only  to  the  Jew,  but  also  to  the  Gentile. 
The  Jewish  nation,  trodden  down  during  so  many  years,  first  of  cap- 
tiviTy  ill  the  far  East,  then  of  grinding  oppression  in  their  own  land, 
looked  forward  with  a  passionate  eagerness  to  the  advent  of  the 
]>romised  Messiah,  whom  they  thought  of  exclusively  as  a  triumphant 
liing.  They  forgot  the  other  picture,  which  painted  the  same  Messiah 
witii  the  marred  form  and  visage,  without  form  or  comeliness,  despised 
and  rejected,  a  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief;  wounded 
for  others  transgressions  and  bruised  for  others'  iniquities ;  cut  off 
out  of  the  land  of  the  living ;  sti'icken  for  the  transgression  of  his 
people;  making  his  grave  with  the  wicked  (Isa.  52:  14;  53:  1-10). 
The  very  disciples  of  Jesus  were  reluctant  to  entertain  any  other 
thoughts  concerning  the  Master  than  those  colored  with  the  rich  hues 
of  glury  and  triumph  (Matt.  16  :  22,  etc.). 

*  Practical  Notes. — Be  alwaj's  ready  to  give  a  reason  for  the  faith  that  is  in  thee. 
Paul  was  ready  on  all  occasions  to  do  honor  to  tlie  cause  for  which  he  suffered.  Before 
men  of  high  estate,  as  well  as  before  men  of  low  estate,  he  was  proud  of  the  Gospel 
and  ready  to  bear  witness  to  it.— The  resurrection  of  Christ  is  a  fundamental  fact  of 


26:  24.]  ACTS  XXVI.  381 

Chapter  26:  24-32. 

Paulas  Reply  to  Festus  and  Appeal  to  Agrippa. 

24      And  as  he  thus  made  his  defence,  Festus  said  with 
a  loud  voice,  Paul,  thou  art  mad ;  thy  much  learning 

Christianity. — The  Church  -was  born  on  the  Easter  morning  of  the  resurrection.  For 
faith  ill  this  fact  (ver.  6)  Paul  was  accused  by  the  Jews.  The  resurrection  of  Christ 
certified  to  liis  claims  as  the  Messiah ;  without  such  faith  the  Christian's  confidence  is 
vain. — The  credibility  of  the  resurrection  depends  almost  wholly  upon  the  testimony 
of  the  Apostles.  Tliere  are  analogies  in  the  reappearance  of  the  flowers  in  the  f^pring 
to  the  resurrection.  But  they  are  not  the  tame  flowers  that  grew  the  year  before. 
The  solemn  question  of  Job,  'If  a  man  die  shall  he  live  again?'  is  alone  conclusively 
answered  by  the  exclamation,  '  The  Lord  is  risen  from  the  dead !' — We  may  be  confi- 
dent we  are  in  the  right,  when  we  are  in  the  wrong  (ver.  9;.  Conscience  is  not  an 
unerring  and  infallible  guide.  It  is  our  duty  to  always  follow  our  conscience,  but  a 
conscience  enlightened  by  the  Gospel  alone  is  infallible.  The  fact  that  we  do  not 
believe  a  course  of  action  to  be  right,  or  Christ  to  be  the  Saviour,  is  no  certain  pre- 
sumption that  they  are  not  so.  A  rose  is  fragrant  even  if  a  Greenlander  does  not  detect 
its  fragrance. — The  Gospel  is  a  power  turning  men  from  the  darkness  unto  the  light. 
Nations  sit  in  darkness  and  in  the  region  and  shadow  of  death  until  the  Light  dawns 
upon  them,  which  reveals  the  trua  character  of  Gcd  and  brings  out  more  distinctly 
the  meaning  of  life  and  immortality. — True  conversion  and  undefiled  religion  consist 
in  sorrow  and  regret  for  past  sins,  an  earnest  looking  to  and  dependence  upon 
God,  and  a  life  of  godliness,  sobriety  and  charity  conformed  to  the  commandments  of 
God  (ver.  20)  — Those  that  are  employed  in  work  for  God  shall  obtain  help  from  God 
(ver.  22). — One  who  serves  God  sincerely  can  have  a  manly  bearing  before  princes  and 
potentates.  Paul's  defence  before  Agrippa  was  free  from  the  tone  of  cringing  and 
fawning,  as  well  as  of  disparagement.  While  he  acknowledges  the  supremacy  of  the 
king,  he  bore  himself  like  a  man.  The  Christian  has  the  best  right  to  be  manly.  He 
does  God's  will  and  is  conscious  of  the  divine  favor  and  guidance. 

PauVs  Reply  to  Festus  and  Appeal  to  Agrippa,  vers.  24-32. 

Ver.  24.  *Paul,  thou  art  mad ;  thy  much  learning  doth 
turn  thee  to  madness.  This  ti'anslation  of  the  Revisers  makes  a 
much  less  forcible  and  idiomatic  sentence  in  English  than  the  render- 
ing of  King  James'  Version:  'Paul,  thou  art  beside  thj^self;  much 
learning  doth  make  thee  mad.'  It  also  tends  to  remove  the  pleasant 
impression  that  Agrippa  was  deeply  agitated  by  Paul's  address,  but  it 
is  a  more  faithful  and  literal  rendering  of  the  Greek.  Festus  called 
Paul  mad  noi  on  account  of  his  enthusiastic  and  fervid  utterance,  but 
on  account  of  the  truths  which  he  professed  to  believe.  The  Iloman 
procurator,  indifferent  to  religious  truth  and  conviction,  as  most  of  the 
Ivomans  in  high  position  at  that  time  were,  regarded  the  vision  on  the 
road  to  Damascus  and  Christ's  resurrection  as  the  creatures  of  an  over- 
heated imagination  and  credulous  temper.     Bengel  well  says :  '  Festus 


382  ACTS  XXVI.  [2G:  25-28. 

25  doth  turD  thee  to  madness.  But  Paul  saith,  I  am  not 
mad,  most  excellent  Festus  ;  but  speak  forth  worcTs  of 

26  truth  and  soberness.  For  the  king  knoweth  of  these 
things,  unto  whom  also  I  speak  freely :  for  I  am  pei- 
suaded  that  none  of  these  things  is  hidden  from  him ; 

27  for  this  hath  not  been  done  in  a  corner.  King 
Agrippa,  believest  thou  the  prophets  ?     I  know  that 

28  thou  believest.     And  Agrijjpa  said  unto  Paul,  With 

saw  that  Paul  did  not  speak  according  to  nature,  but  he  failed  to  ap- 
prehend the  grace  which  was  active  in  hioi.'  Ihe  much  learning  [ra 
ypdfjLuara)  which  Festus  describes  as  the  cause  of  Paul's  fancies  may 
either  mean  the  many  writings  which  he  had  read,  perhaps  referring 
to  the  0.  T.  Scriptures  and  the  other  writings  of  the  Jews  (Kuinoel, 
Plumptre,  etc.),  or  the  ^-ide  attainments  in  knowledge  he  was  reputed 
to  have  (Hackett,  Meyer,  etc.).  The  latter  is  the  better  explanation. 
The  words  probably  express  a  sneer  for  literary  pursuits. 

Ver.  25.  I  am  not  mad,  etc.  The  Roman  governor's  accusation 
was  effectively  refuted  by  the  calm,  courteous  words  of  the  prisoner. 
The  Eoman  must  have  listened  with  not  a  little  regret  for  his  sneer  to 
these  last  words  of  Paul,  no  longer  burning  with  enthusiasm,  but  con- 
vincing with  their  quiet  composure  :  '  No,  noble  Festus,  I  am  not  mad. 
The  words  which  incite  your  indignation  are  not  the  outcome  of  a  wild, 
ill-balanced  enthusiasm,  not  the  fancies  of  a  disordered  intellect ;  they 
are  the  expression  of  truth,  of  calm,  deliberate  judgment.'  Then 
turning  again  to  the  Jewish  king,  '  The  king  will  bear  me  witness  that 
my  words  have  been  no  wild  utterances  of  a  visionary  enthusiast.' 

Ver.  26.  *None  of  these  things  is  hidden  from  him.  The 
king  was  a  Jew  by  pi-actice,  and  knew  about  the  hopes,  which  the 
nation  founded  upon  the  predictions  of  the  prophets.  He  also  had 
heard  of  the  ficts  of  which  Paul  had  discoursed. — *This  hath  not 
been  done  in  a  corner.  Paul's  vision  on  the  road  to  Damascus, 
or,  perhaps,  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  Both  of  these  events  were  of 
a  public  nature,  the  second  occurring  at  Jerusalem,  the  first  in  the 
presence  of  companions,  and  known  by  its  results  to  Ananias,  and, 
perhaps,  other  brethren  at  Damascus. 

Ver.  27.  Believest  thou  the  prophets  ?  I  kno-w  that 
thou  believest.  Paul  made  this  appeal,  not  without  reason,  to  the 
Jewish  sovereign,  who,  like  his  father,  ostentatiously  avowed  his  belief 
in  Judaism.  There  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the  sincerity  of  his  belief 
or  that  of  his  father,  Agrippa  I.  They  seem  to  have  been  outwardly, 
at  all  events,  zealous  Jews,  and  well  versed  in  the  sacred  traditions  of 
the  nation. 

Ver.  28.  *With  but  little  persuasion  thou  wouldest  fain 
make  me  a  Christian.  This  translation  supersedes  a  very  impres- 
sive and  familiar  text,  which  has  been  used  with  great  power  for  homi- 


26:  28.J  ACTS  XXVI. 


but*  little  persuasion  thou  wouldest  fain  make  me  a 

*  "  With  but"  etc.  add  marg.  Or,  In  a  little  time. — Am.  Com. 

letical  purposes.  Few  changes  of  the  Revisers  in  the  Xew  Testament 
will  be  so  much  resented  as  this  one.  The  A.  V.  reads  :  '  Almost  thou 
persuadest  me  to  be  a  Christian.'  The  revised  rendering  is  some- 
what periphrastic,  and  much  less  sententious  than  the  original,  which 
consists  of  only  six  words  (£v  6At'}'(j //5  Tre/iJaf  ;);piar<rtf6i'  Troujaat)  liuC 
it  undoubtedly,  gives  a  more  accurate  conception  of  the  meaning  of  the 
original  than  the  Authorized  Version.  Translated  literally  the  original 
would  run  :  '  In  (or  with)  a  little  thou  art  persuading  me  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian.' It  is  interesting  to  look  at  the  renderings  of  the  early  English 
versions,  which  are  as  follows: — Wiclif  (1380):  In  litel  thing  thou 
counceilest  me  to  be  made  a  cristen  man  ;  Tyndale  (1534) :  Sumw hat  thou 
hr  ingest  me  in  my  nde  for  to  become  a  Christen;  Geneva  (1557)  :  Almost  thou 
persuadest  me  to  become  a  Christian.  Three  different  meanings  have  been 
urged  for  the  Greek  kv  b7.lyuji,  translated  here.  With  but  little  persua- 
sion. 1.  Almost,  So  Chrysostom,  Luther,  Grotius,  etc.,  so  that  the  mean- 
ing would  be,  '  Thou  art  lacking  only  a  little  of  persuading  me  to  be  a 
Christian.'  This  view  supposes  that  Agrippa  was  speaking  in  ear- 
nest, and  acknowledged  the  serious  impression  Paul's  appeal  had 
made  upon  his  mind.  But  the  Greek  words  cannot  bear  this  inter- 
pretation. '  It  is  held,'  says  Hackett,  '■to  be  unphilological  to  trans- 
late kv  bXiy(u,  almost,'  and  Prof.  Plumptre  adds,  '  the  words  cannot 
possibly  bear  this  meaning.'  Alford  also  says,  '  It  is  hardly  possible 
philologically  or  exegetically  to  take  these  words  as  implying  an  effect 
on  Agrippa' s  mind.'  The  Greek  equivalent  of  almost  would  be  d/uynv 
or  Trap'  b/.iynv.  2.  In  a  little  time  {xpovo)^.  This  view  is  accepted  by  Wet- 
stein,  Neander,  De  Wette,  Hackett,  and  others.  The  meaning  then 
would  be,  '  Thou  art  thinking  to  persuade  me  to  be  a  Christian  m  a 
short  time  !'  Against  this  view  is  the  use  of  the  quantitative  ev  fjeynAa 
(with  a  great  deal)  in  the  next  v^rse,  which  is  the  reading  adopted  by 
Lachmann,  Tischendorf,  Westcott  and  Hort,  etc.,  for  ev  ttoTJm,  which 
might  be  construed  in  a  temporal  sense.  3.  With  little  utterance  or  few 
words.  This  view  is  preferred  by  Meyer,  (who  translates  excellently, 
'  Mit  Wenigem  iiberredest  du  mich,  ein  Christ  zu  werden  .'' )  Lechler, 
Plumptre,  Wendt,  and  others.  The  same  expression  kv  b/uyCf)  occurs 
in  Eph.  3:  3,  and  is  rendered,  'in  few  words.'  The  meaning  then 
would  be,  '  With  but  little  effort  thou  wouldest  fain  make  me  a  Chris- 
tian.' Agrippa' s  meaning  was  not  that  he  was  within  a  little  of  being 
persuaded  to  be  a  Christian.  He  did  not  speak  seriously  (the  old 
commentators,  Overbeck,  Wendt,  etc.),  nor  yet  was  his  remark  a  '  cyni- 
cal sneer '  (Plumptre),  but  he  spoke  sarcastically  and,  at  the  same  time, 
attempted  to  hide  his  emotion  with  irony.  His  reply  was  both  evasive 
and  sarcastic.  He  was  impressed  with  what  Paul  had  said,  or  at  least 
with  Paul  himself,  his  bearing  and  fervor.  This  is  evident  from  his 
subsequent  words  (ver.  32.) 


384  ACTS  XXVI.  [26:  29-31. 

29  Christian.  And  Paul  said,  I  would  to  God,  that 
whether  with  little*  or  witli  much,  not  thou  only,  but 
also  all  that  hear  me  this  day,  might  become  such  as  I 
am,  except  these  bonds. 

30  And  the  king  rose  up,  and  the  governor,  and  Bern  ice, 

31  and  they  that  sat  with  them :  and  when  they  had 
withdrawn,  they  spake  one  to  another,  saying.  This 

*  "  Whether    with   little "  etc.  add   marg.  Or,  both  in  little  and  in  great,  i.  e.  in  all 
respects. — Am.  Com. 

Ver.  29.  *I  would  to  God,  that  whether  with  little  or 
with  much,  not  thou  only,  etc.  Here  again  many  readers  will 
regret  the  change  from  the  familiar  exclamation  of  the  Authorized  Ver- 
sion, '  I  would  to  God,  that  not  only  thou,  but  all  that  hear  me  this 
day.  -were  both  almost  and  altogether  such  as  I  am,'  etc.  But  fidelity 
to  the  Greek  context  demands  the  rendering  which  the  Revisers  have 
given.  The  Authorized  Version  corresponds  here,  as  in  the  last  verse, 
exactly  with  the  Genevan.  Wiclif's  translation  comes  nearest  to  the 
true  meauing,  '  I  desire  ancntis  [towards]  God  bothe  in  litel  and  in  great.: 
not  oonli  thou,  but  also  those  that  Keren  to  day  to  be  made  such  as  I  am, 
outaken  these  bondes.'  Tyndale  translates,  *  /  wolde  to  God  that  not  only 
thou,  but  also  all  that  heave  me  to  daye,  were,  not  sumwhat  only,  but  alto- 
gether soche  as  I  arn,'  etc.  The  reference  of  the  expression  '  with  little 
or  with  much,'  depends  upon  the  meaning  of  the  last  clause.  Hackett 
translates,  *  in  a  short  time,  or  (if  not  then)  m  a  long  time.'  The  revision 
necessitates  the  supply  of  the  word  persuasion.  It  is  better  to  supply  the 
word  effort,  *  whether  with  little  effort  or  with  much.'  The  main  thought 
of  the  verse  is  Paul's  eager  longing  for  the  salvation  of  his  hearers. — 
Such  as  I  am,  except  these  bonds.  The  exquisite  courtesy 
of  the  great  missionary  perhaps  is  nowhere  made  more  manifest  than 
in  this  concluding  sentence.  He  would  have  Agrippa  a  fellow-citizen 
with  him  in  the  city  of  God,  a  brother  heir  in  his  glorious  hopes,  but 
without  the  chain,  and  the  persecution  which  in  his,  Paul's  case  had 
accompanied  his  profession  of  Christianity.  '  Such  as  he,'  writes  Prof. 
Plumptre,  '  pardoned,  at  peace  with  God  arid  man,  with  a  hope  stretch- 
ing beyond  the  grave,  and  an  actual  present  participation  in  the  power 
of  the  eternal  world — this  is  what  he  was  desiring  for  them.  If  that 
could  be  effected,  he  would  be  content  to  remain  in  his  bonds,  and  to 
leave  them  upon  their  thrones.' 

Ver.  30.  The  king  rose  up,  and  the  governor,  etc.  Thus 
leaving  the  court  in  order  of  their  precedence.  Such  an  exact  det  lii 
evidently  proceeds  from  one  who  had  been  an  eye-witness  of  the  day's 
proceedings.  '  They  that  sat  with  them '  were  the  council  of  the  Pru- 
curator  Festus. 

Ver.  31.  This  man  doeth  nothing  worthy  of  death  or 
of  bonds.     The  second  of  these  public  expressions  of  opinion  on  the 


i 


26:  32.]  ACTS  XXVI.  385 

32  man  doetli  nothing  worthy  of  death  or  of  bonds.  And 
Agrippa  said  unto  Festus,  This  man  might  have  been 
set  at  liberty,  if  he  had  not  appealed  unto  Caesar. 

part  of  Agrippa  and  Festus,  respecting  Paul's  complete  innocence  of 
the  really  grave  charge  of  promoting  sedition  and  of  exciting  the 
peoples  of  the  Empire  against  the  ruling  powers,  was  an  important 
memorandum  in  the  history  of  the  great  Gentile  Apostle,  who,  "we  know, 
eventually  was  condemned  and  put  to  death  on  a  similar  false  charge. 
As  the  appeal  to  the  emperor  had  been  formally  lodged,  it  was  no 
longer  in  the  power  of  any  provincial  official,  however  exalted,  to 
acquit  or  to  free,  any  more  than  to  condemn  and  to  punish  the  prisoner 
who  had  thus  appealed  ;  still,  as  Festus  had  arranged  this  hearing  be- 
fore Agrippa  with  a  view  to  procure  satisfactory  material  to  enable  him 
to  make  an  exhaustive  report,  he  no  doubt  wrote  such  a  favorable  view 
of  the  prisoner's  case  as  eventually  brought  about  his  acquittal  and 
freedom  from  his  first  Roman  imprisonment.  A  result  of  Paul's  de- 
fence of  Christianity  before  Agrippa,  was  a  kindly  feeling  which  seems 
to  have  sprung  up  in  the  king's  heart  towards  the  Nazarene  sect. 
Stier,  in  his  Words  of  the  Apostles,  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  great  Jewish  war,  some  eight  or  nine  years  after  the 
scene  at  Caesarea,  he  protected  the  Christians,  receiving  them  kindly 
into  his  territory. 

Ver.  32.  This  man  might  have  been  set  at  liberty,  etc. 
On  first  thought,  it  would  seem  as  though  this  appeal  to  the  Apostle 
was  a  disastrous  step  for  him  to  have  taken.  But  on  looking  deeper 
into  that  busy  life-story  of  his,  we  see  how,  in  the  providence  of  God, 
the  appeal  enabled  him  to  see  and  labor,  in  Pvome.  It  is  also  a  question 
whether,  if  he  had  been  free  at  this  juncture,  he  would  not  have  fallen 
a  victim  to  the  murderous  plots  of  his  enemies  at  .Jerusalem.  As  it  was, 
he  was  conducted  safely  to  Rome,  the  city  he  had  been  so  long  anxious 
to  visit.  The  very  circumstances  of  his  arrival  as  an  imperial  prisoner, 
probably  from  their  publicity,  assisted  him  in  his  work  of  spreading 
his  Master's  message.  So  all  things  worked  together  for  the  glory  of 
God. 

*  Practical  Notes.  Christian  zeal  is  often  attributed  to  false  causes  (ver.  24).  Paurs 
earnestness  in  defending  the  truth  and  seeking  the  conwrsion  of  his  hearers  wtw  at- 
tributed to  hallucination,  a  diseajjed  condition  of  the  brain.  The  activity  of  th."'  Ke- 
formers  was  ascribed  to  the  love  of  power  and  applause  or  to  worse  motives.  The  Me- 
thod sts  were  for  a  long  time  subjected  to  the  attack  that  thej'  were  wild  cuthnsia«ts, 
though  they  proved  to  be  the  second  Reformers  of  England.  Happ\'  is  he  who, 
thoroughly  con\in -ed  in  his  own  mind  of  the  truth  he  professes  to  believe,  is  not 
thrown  off  his  balance  by  adverse  criticism. — Not  the  profession  of  Christianity,  but 
the  practice  of  irreligion  is  madness.  When  the  prodigal  son  left  off  his  sinning  and 
started  for  his  father's  house  it  is  said  that  he  'came  to  himself  (Luke  15:  17).  He 
that  turneth  to  God  and  doeth  righteousness  wakes  up  from  a  flight  of  insanity  for 
2-3 


386  ACTS  XXVI.  [26:  32. 

he  gives  up  the  vain  thought  that  a  life  without  Christ  and  a  life  of  sin  is  the  best  or 
blessed  life. — Ministers  are  not  usually  hampered  by  an  oversupply  of  learning  but  by 
a  want  of  it.  And  yet  it  is  true  that  learning  is  not  a  desirable  thing,  when  it  puts  the 
preacher  out  of  sympathy  with  the  common  wants  of  his  hearers.  A  sanctitied  com- 
mon sense  often  stamls  him  in  better  stead  than  much  learning  of  the  schools.  Taul 
always  spoke  to  the  wants  of  his  hearei-s. — The  great  facts  of  the  Gospel  occurred 
under  tlie  public  gaze  (ver.  26).  Neither  thfi  miracles  nor  the  resurrection  occurred 
under  cover  of  the  darkness.  They  were  not  the  inventions  of  an  after  age,  but  were 
seen  by  many  who  believed  and  did  not  doubt,  and  accepted  by  many  in  that  generation 
who  at  first  were  bitterly  hostile  to  the  claims  of  Christ. — Convictions  are  often  stiHed 
with  a  jest  or  sarcastic  tone  (ver.  28.)  Others  suppress  serious  thoughts  of  religion  by 
taking  anew  to  their  cups  or  business  or  worldly  pleasure. — The  Christian  advocate  is 
always  courteous.  It  is  a  command  of  the  New  Testament  to  be  courteous.  Paul's 
answer  to  the  insinuation  of  Festus  that  he  was  mad  (ver.  24),  as  well  as  his  earnest 
reply  to  Agrippa  (ver.  29)  are  models  of  courtesy. — Paul  was  e.xculpated  by  Agrippa. 
Did  it  stand  as  well  with  Agrippa  before  his  conscience  and  his  Gcd? 

Excursus  on  the  Three  Accounts  of  Paul's  Conversion.  (Chh.  9,  22,  26).  In 
an  Excursus  on  the  two  accounts  of  the  conversion  of  Cornelius,  p.  161,  it  was  re- 
marked that  in  that  case,  as  in  this,  we  have  before  us  something  more  than  a  meie 
repetition  of  the  same  facts  for  the  sake  of  emphasis.  If  indeed  there  were,  in  these 
instances,  mere  reiteration  in  the  speeches  of  Peter  and  Paul,  of  narratives  previously 
given,  we  should  have  no  ground  for  casting  any  imputation  upon  the  authenticity  of 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  But,  in  fact,  there  is  much  more  than  reiteration.  The 
same  story  is  told  more  than  once,  but  so  re-told  as  to  have  in  the  re-telling  a  distinct 
relation  with  both  the  speakers  and  the  audience.  Thus  we  gain  additional  informa- 
tion through  this  restatement ;  while  a  comparison  of  the  speeches  with  the  circum- 
stances under  which  they  were  delivered,  supplies  us  with  a  test,  for  the  natural 
truthfulness  of  these  parts  of  the  Acts.  In  the  accounts  given  of  Paul's  addresses  in 
the  Temple  Court  and  before  Felix  at  Caesarea  (22 :  2G.),  as  when  Peter  spoke  be- 
fore the  Apostles  and  brethren  at  Jerusalem  (11.),  we  find  him  speaking  under  apoio- 
getic  conditions.  He  himself  (22:  1 ,  26  :  2)  terms  his  addresses  defences.  Hence  we 
might  expect  that  on  these  occasions  certain  things  would  be  omitted  which  were 
important  in  the  direct  narrative,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  that  certain  things  would 
be  added  likelj'  to  be  specially  persuasive  to  the  audiences  addressed.  This  we  find  to 
be  the  case.  Thus,  in  Paul's  speeches,  nothing  is  said  of  the  sensation  of  scales,  as  if 
were,  falling  from  his  eyes.'  Such  a  point  of  detail  is  quite  after  Luke's  medical 
manner,  and  has  great  interest  for  us  on  this  account ;  but  it  would  have  been  out  of 
place  in  a  defensive  address  spoken  under  difficult  circumstances.  Similarly  we  find  in 
the  speeches  no  mention  of  the  'Straight  Street,' or  of 'the  house  of  Judas.'  Such 
local  details,  as  in  the  case  of  Peter  speaking  at  Jerusalem,  would  have  been  of  no 
special  value  in  Paul's  speeches  in  the  Temple  Court  and  at  Cassarea.  Again,  Paul 
does  not  tell  the  Jews  or  Festus  that  he  was  '  three  daj's  without  food.'  And  now.  to 
turn  from  omissions  to  additions,  we  observe  that  it  is  only  from  the  apologetic 
speeches  before  Felix  and  Agrippa  that  we  learn  that  '  the  light  from  heaven,'  which 
shone  upon  Paul,  on  the  way  to  Damascus,  was  a  '  great '  light,  '  about  noon  '  (22 :  6), 
'above  the  brightness  of  the  sun '  (26:  13),  and  that  'he  could  not  see  for  the  glory 
of  that  light '  (22 :  11).    It  was  of  the  utmost  consequence  that  he  should  impress  bis 


26:41.]  ACTS  XXYI.  387 

hearers  with  the  miraculous  nature  of  that  which  had  occurred  to  him,  whereas  Luke 
(ch.  9)  wrote  simplj-  on  this  aspect  of  the  case ;  and  thus  it  is  that  we  obtain  most  inter- 
esting particula:s  which  otherwise  we  should  not  have  known.  Comparing  now 
Paul's  speeches  before  Felix  and  Agrippa  w  ith  one  another,  we  must  remember  that, 
though  both  were  apologetic  they  were  made  under  very  different  circumstances.  If 
they  were  true  to  the  occasions  on  which  they  are  alleged  to  have  been  spoken,  and 
true  also  to  the  cliaracter  of  the  speaker  as  a  man  of  good  judgment  and  fine  tact,  they 
must  exhibit  corresiX)nding  variations.  Xow,  speaking  to  the  Jewish  niub  in  the  Temple 
Court,  it  was  essential  that  Paul  should  be  conciliatory,  by  presenting  hia  subject  as 
much  as  possible  on  the  Jewish  side,  and  keeping  back  as  long  as  possible  the  mention 
of  the  Gentiles.  He  does  this  with  remarkable  skill.  His  speaking  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue  (21 :  40 ;  22 :  2),  instantly  after  speaking  to  the  Roman  officer  in  Greek  (21 :  37),  is 
to  be  noted,  in  the  first  place,  as  a  mark  of  his  ready  versatility.  He  addresses  his  angry 
hearers  as  'brethren  and  fathers.'  He  tells  them  that,  though  born  in  Tarsus,  lie  was 
educated  in  Jerusalem  (ver.  :i).  Were  it  not  for  this  speech,  we  should  never  have 
known  that  Paul  was  '  brought  up  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel.'  He  calls  the  Law  which 
he  had  been  taught  '  the  law  of  the  fathers ; '  and  he  says  that  he  had  been  zealous  'as 
they  all  were  that  day.'  He  says  that  '  all  the  estate  of  the  elders,'  had  sanctioned  his 
persecuting  journey  to  Damascus.  When  he  comes  to  the  mention  of  Ananias,  he  de- 
scribes him  not  (as  in  9  :  10)  under  the  designation  of  a  Christian  '  disciple,'  but  as  a 
devout  man  according  to  the  law  ; '  and  he  adds,  just  as  in  10:  22  the  messengers  to 
Peter  make  a  similar  addition  regarding  Cornelius,  that  'he  was  well  reported  of  all 
that  dwelt  there'  (ver.  12).  But  especially  we  must  mark  his  introduction  of  his 
vision  in  the  Temple,  of  which,  but  for  this  speech,  we  should  have  known  nothing 
(ver.  17).  In  that  very  same  place  where  he  was  how  speaking,  God  hafl  given  him 
his  commission  to  the  Gentiles  (ver.  21).  At  that  detested  word  the  uproar  began 
again,  and  they  would  hear  him  no  longer  But  he  had  gained  his  point.  He  had 
told  the  story  of  his  conversion  to  those  who  were  most  unwilling  to  listen.  It  is 
needless  to  observe  how  much  this  speech  adds  to  the  storj%  as  given  in  chap.  9  of 
that  great  change  and  \t<  collateral  circumstances,  and  how  all  these  additions  arise 
naturally  out  of  the  occasion  taken  in  conjunction  with  the  character  of  the  man.  If  now 
we  turn  to  the  speech  b?fore  Agrippa,  we  find  the  story  of  the  conversion  told  with 
what  might  be  termed  a  strong  Gentile  coloring;  and  this  was  in  harmony  with  the 
occasion,  and  quite  according  to  the  habit  of  Paul's  mind.  He  easily  adapted  himself 
to  the  circumstances  of  the  moment.  He  can  now  speak  calmly  and  without  any  of 
that  urgent  pres'^iire  which  caused  so  much  difficulty  in  the  court  of  the  Temple.  He 
has  the  religious  interests  of  Festus,  too,  to  consider ;  and  it  is  his  duty  so  to  speak  as 
to  persuade  him,  if  possible,  as  well  as  Agrippa.  Thus  he  says  that  he  was  'accused 
by  Jews '  (24:  2), — ^accused  by  them,  too,  for  promoting  '  the  hope  '  which  their  '  twelve 
tribes'  had  always  fostered  (vers.  6,  7).  He  speaks  of  them  as  hostile  to  him,  not  as 
friends.  He  describes  the  Christians  whom  he  persecuted  as  '  saints '  Cver.  10) ;  he 
says  that  he  endeavored  to  force  them  to  'blaspheme' (ver.  11).  Xo  such  language 
would  have  been  possible  before  the  Jewish  mob;  or,  at  least  if  he  had  used  it,  the 
interruption  and  uproar  would  have  been  hastened.  He  makes  no  mention  here  at 
Caesarea  of  the  vision  of  Ananias  at  Damascus,  or  of  his  own  vision  in  the  temple  of 
Jerusalem.  Such  statements  would  have  been  of  no  use  in  his  argument,  and  they 
might  have  provoked  derision.  Throughoiit,  we  observe  that  his  mission  to  the  Gen- 
tiles is  made  conspicuous  (vers.  17,  20,  23) ;  and  to  close  this  imperfect  comparison  of 


388  ACTS  XXVII.  [27:  1,  2. 

Chapter  27:  1-8. 

PauVs  Voyage  as  far  as  Fair  Havens. 

27  :  1      Akd  when  it  was  determined  that  we  should  sail 
for  Italy,  they  delivered  Paul  and  certain  other  pris- 
oners to  a  centurion  named  Julius,  of  the  Augustan 
2  ^band.     And  embarking  in  a  ship  of  Adramyttium, 

1  Ox',  cohort 

the  two  speeches  by  noticing  one  particular,  which  at  first  sight  is  very  trivial,  but 
which  really  contains  a  great  deal  of  evidential  force,  he  says  here  (ver.  14)  that  the 
voice  on  the  road  to  Damascus  spoke  to  him  '  in  the  Hebrew  tongue.'  He  did  not  state 
this  in  the  Temple  Court ;  and  for  two  reasons  this  difference  is  entirely  natural.  He 
was  then  speaking  in  Hebrew  ;  he  is  now  speaking  in  Greek.  See,  for  a  further 
treatment  of  the  subject,  the  Huhean  Lectures  for  18G2  (third  edition\  by  the  writer  of 
this  note,  and  likewise  his  Second  Ajipendix  to  the  edition  of  the  Horce  Paulinoe  re- 
cently published  by  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge. 

PauT  s  Voyage  as  far  as  Fair  Havens,  vers.  1-8. 

Ver.  1.  When  it  was  determined.  It  might  seem  that  there 
had  been  some  doubt  whether  the  Apostle  after  all  was  to  be  sent  into 
Italy.  The  word,  however,  may  only  mean  that  the  time  for  going  to 
Italy  was  now  fixed. — ^We  should  sail.  This  includes  the  writer 
Luke,  and  Aristarchus.  The  point  of  departure  was  Caesarea.  The 
improvements  of  the  Revised  Version  in  this  nautical  section  (chs. 
xxvii.,  xxviii.),  describing  Paul's  voyage  to  Italy  are  very  noticeable. 

Other  prisoners.     Who  they  were,  and  under  what  circumstances 

they  were  going  to  Rome,  we  do  not  know.— Julius.  The  Julian 
house,  like  the  Cornelian  (10:  1),  was  an  illustrious  one  in  Italy.  As 
to  this  Julius  personally,  we  presently  feel  that  we  know  a  good  deal 
of  him  through  his  treatment  of  Paul.  Like  other  centurions  men- 
tioned in  the  N.  T.  (Matt.  15  :  10  ;  Mark  15  :  39  ;  Acts  10 :  1),  he  com- 
mands our  respect.— The  Augustan  band.  More  literally  cohort, 
as  in  the  margin.  Josephus  tells  us  that  one  Roman  cohort  at  Coesarea 
in  the  time  of  Felix  had  this  title.  Various  cohorts,  as  well  as  legions, 
had  honorary  titles,  as  the  Italian  cohort.  It  is  possible  that  the  corps 
to  which  Julius  belonged  was  a  detachment  of  the  Prcetorian  Guards. 
That  he  had  an  escort  of  soldiers  with  him  is  clear  from  ver.  31. 

Ver.  2.  A  ship  of  Adramyttium.  A  seaport  of  Mysia,  opposite 
Lesbos,  on  the  western  coast  of  the  present  Asia  Minor.  Paul's  voy- 
age to  Italy  was  accomplished  in  three  ships.  The  first  was  probably 
a  coasting  vessel,  carrying  passengers  and  cargo,  and  touching  at  vari- 
ous ports.  The  course  of  this  vessel  was  in  the  direction  of  Italy  ;  and 
in  some  of  the  harbors  at  which  it  would  touch  in  its  way,  Julius 
might  expect  to  find  another  western-bound  ship  in  which  he  and  his 


27 :  3.]  ACTS  XXVII.  389 

which  was  about  to  sail  unto  the  places  on  the  coast  of 
Asia,  we  put  to  sea,  Aristarchus,  a  Macedonian  of 
3  Thessalonica,  being  with  us.  And  the  next  day  we 
touched  at  Sidon  :  and  Julius  treated  Paul  kindly, 
and  gave  him  leave  to  go  unto  his  friends  and  ^refresh 

1  Gr.  receive  attention. 

prisoners  could  pursue  their  voyage.  Even  military  officers  in  liigli 
command,  on  important  errands,  were  obliged  in  that  day  to  employ 
opportunities  of  thi-»  kind,  using  one  ship  after  another.  A  good  illus- 
tration is  supplied  by  Josephus  (  War,  7  :  2,  1)  in  his  account  of  the 
voyage  of  the  Emperor  Vespasian,  who  went  on  board  a  merchant  ship 
from  Alexandria  to  Rhodes,  and  thence  pursued  his  way  through 
Greece  to  the  Adriatic,  and  finally  went  to  Rome  through  Italy  by 
land. — Aristarchus.  One  of  the  Apostle's  well-known  companions. 
He  was  with  him  at  Ephesus  during  the  earlier  part  of  his  last  mis- 
sionary journey  (19  :  29),  and  on  his  return  in  the  latter  part  (20: 
4).  He  seems  to  have  shared  imprisonment  at  Rome  with  Paul,  who 
calls  him  his  fellow-prisoner  (Col.  4:  10)  and  his  fellow-worker  (Phil- 
em.  24).  So  far  as  we  know,  Aristarchus  and  Luke  were  his  only 
companions  on  the  departure  from  CiBsarea. 

Ver.  3.  Sidon.  Sixty-seven  miles  due  north  of  Caesarea.  Sidon 
was  not  on  the  due  course  towards  Italy.  The  vessel  may  have  stopped 
there  for  commercial  reasons,  or  to  land  passengers.  If  not,  there 
were  other  good  reasons  of  a  physical  kind  for  it.  We  know  from  what 
follows  that  the  wind  was  contrary  on  leaving  Sidon,  and  sufficiently 
strong  also  to  force  the  vessel  to  take  the  north  side  of  Cyprus.  Now, 
we  learn  from  nautical  authorities  that  north- west eidy  winds  are  pre- 
valent in  that  part  of  the  Levant,  and  a  strong  current  sets  to  the 
north  along  the  Phoenician  coast,  and  is  favorable  to  the  progress  of 
a  ship  in  that  direction.  These  two  considerations  made  it  quite  na- 
tural that  the  vessel  should  go  into  harbor  at  Sidon,  even  if  no  business 
required  her  presence  there. — Julius  treated  Paul  kindly.  It  is 
highly  probable  that  Julius  had  obtained  in  Cfesarea  some  knowledge 
of  Paul's  character,  and  the  circumstances  of  his  imprisonment,  and 
he  may  have  been  the  centurion  who  guarded  Paul  in  his  confinement 
(Acts  23  :  31-35  :  24  :  23.)— His  friends.  The  Gospel  had  been  ac- 
tively difiused  along  this  part  of  the  coast,  soon  after  the  death  of 
Stephen  (Acts  11 :  19),  It  was  along  this  route  that  Barnabas  and 
Paul  took  the  charitable  relief  from  Antioch  to  Judeea.  Paul  had  very 
recently  been  at  Tyre  (21  :  3K  as  well  as  at  Ptolemais  (21  :  7),  cities 
quite  near  Sidon.  and  held  affectionate  intercourse  with  the  Christians 
there. — Refresh  himself.  More  literally,  obtain  friendh/  care.  This 
suGCgests  that  Paul's  health  was  impaired,  and  that  his  friends  offered 
him  some  provision  for  his  comfort,  as  he  had  a  long  and  circuitous  voy- 
age in  prospect,  at  a  bad  season  of  the  year. 


390  ACTS  XXVII.  [27 :  4-7. 

4  himself.     And  putting  to  sea  from  thence,  we  sailed 
under  the  lee  of  Cyprus,  because  the  winds  w^ere  con- 

5  trary.     And  when  we  had  sailed  across  the  sea  which 
is  oft'  Cilicia  and  Pamphylia,  we  came  to  Myra,  a  city 

6  of  Lycia.     And  there  the  centurion  found  a  ship  of 
Alexandria  sailing  for  Italy ;  and  he  put  us  therein. 

7  And  when  we  had  sailed  slowly  many  days,  and  were 
come  with  difficulty  over  against  Cnidus,  the  wind  not 

Ver  4.  Under  the  lee  of  Cyprus.  So  as  to  place  the  island 
between  tliemseh^es  and  the  wind.  They  were  on  the  north  side  of  the 
i.ilund,  and  still  pursued  a  somewhat  northerly  course.  The  natural 
course  fur  this  ship  would  have  been  on  the  south  of  Cyprus,  towards 
the  south-west  corner  of  Asia  Minor,  the  course  followed  inversely  on 
Paul's  return  from  his  last  missionary  expedition,  on  which  occasion 
the  sighting  of  Cyprus  to  the  north  is  mentioned  (Acts  21  :  6). — The 
■winds  V7ere  contrary.  Hence  they  were  blowing  hard  from  the 
north-west.  This  was  a  sufficient  reason  for  standing  to  the  north, 
and  then  following  the  coast  of  the  mainland  westwards.  But  some 
other  reasons  doubtless  weighed  with  those  who  had  charge  of  the 
sailing  of  the  ship,  to  bring  about  this  determination.  The  current 
which,  as  mentioned  above,  sets  northward  along  the  Syrian  coast,  to 
the  east  of  Cyprus  sets  westward  between  that  island  and  the  Cilician 
and  Pamphylian  coast.  Admiral  Beaufort  says  [Karumania,  p  41),  that 
'  from  S^'ria  to  the  Archipelago,  there  is  a  constant  current  to  the 
westward.'  This  would  be  favorable  to  the  progress  of  the  vessel. 
Moreover,  the  wind  would  draw  more  fi'om  the  north  when  coming 
down  from  the  high  land  above  this  coast.  This  is  stated  in  our  Eng- 
lish Sailing  Directory,  pp.  241-243.  Hence  there  would  be  compara- 
tively smooth  water  here.     This  coast,  too,  had  several  good  harbors. 

Ver.  5.  Myra.  A  well-known  seafaring  town  at  that  day.  Nicho- 
las, one  of  its  Christian  bishops  in  the  fourth  century,  became  in  the 
Middle  Ages  the  favorite  patron  saint  of  the  sailors. 

Ver.  6.  A  ship  of  Alexandria  sailing  for  Italy.  Evidently 
a  large  and  commodious  ship,  for  276  persons  were  on  board  at  the 
time  of  the  wreck,  (ver.  37).  The  majority  of  these,  of  course,  were 
passengers.  The  trading  ships  of  the  Mediterranean,  under  the  Roman 
Empire,  were  often  of  500  or  1000  tons.  This  would  especially  be  the 
case  with  the  great  ships  of  Alexandria,  which  took  grain  from  Egypt ; 
and  this  was  one  of  that  class  (ver.  38).  This  pai'ticular  vessel  had 
perhaps  been  driven  out  of  her  original  course  by  the  northwest  wind, 
and  had  stood  to  the  north,  where  the  Asiatic  coast  is  high  and  easily 
seen,  and  where  good  harbors  are  abundant. 

Ver.  7.  Sailed  slo"wly.  The  distance  from  Myra  to  Cnidus  is 
only  130  miles.     This  slow  sailing  was  probably  due  to  the  contrary 


27:  8,9.]  ACTS  XXVII.  391 

^further  suffering  us,  we  sailed  under  the  lee  of  Crete, 

8  over  against  Salmone ;  and  with  difficulty  coasting 
along  it  we  came  unto  a  certain  place  called  Fair 
Havens ;  nigh  whereunto  was  the  city  of  Lasea. 

Chapter  27:  9-17. 
Sailing  from  Crete. — A  violent  Storm. 

9  And  when  much  time  was  spent,  and  the  voyage 
was  now  dangerous,  because  the  Fast  was  now  already 

1  Or,  suffering  us  to  get  there. 

■wind.  It  would  be  necessary,  along  the  Lycian  coast,  as  previously 
along  the  Cilician  and  Pamphylian,  for  the  ship  to  beat  up  against  the 
wind,  with  tacks,  speaking  roughly,  north-east  by  north  and  south-west 
by  west. — Not  further  suffering  us.  A  question  might  be  raised 
here  as  to  whether  this  means  that  the  wind  would  not  allow  them  to 
enter  the  harbor  of  Cnidus,  or  would  not  allow  them  to  make  the 
southernmost  point  of  the  Morea,  which  was  in  their  direct  route  to 
Italy.  Mr.  Humphry  takes  the  former  view,  adding  that  in  the  har- 
bor of  Cnidus,  which  was  a  good  one,  they  would  probably  have  win- 
tered, if  they  had  been  able  to  enter  it.  But  it  does  not  appear  that 
at  thi-i  time  they  had  relinquished  their  intention  of  prosecuting  their 
voyage. — Under  the  lee  of  Crete.  Here  they  would  obtain  the 
same  advantages  as  before,  under  the  shore  of  Asia  Minor,  as  to  com- 
parative shelter  and  a  favorable  current. — Salmone.  The  eastern- 
most point  of  Crete. 

Ver.  8.  With  difBoulty  coasting  along  it.  It  seems  that 
they  were  hardly  able  to  accomplish  their  purpose :  but  they  did  ac- 
complish it ;  and  from  this  circumstance,  added  to  the  fact  that  they 
could  not  fetch  the  southernmost  point  of  the  Morea,  Mr.  Smith  of 
Jordanhill  has  drawn  an  ingenious  indirect  proof  confirming  the  evi- 
dence that  the  wind  was  blowing  from  the  north-west. — The  city  of 
Lasea.  The  ruins  of  Lasea,  after  having  completely  escaped  discov- 
ery, have  recently  been  found  about  two  hours'  walk  from  Fair 
Havens.  This  curious  discovery  of  a  Scotch  yachting  party  may  be 
classed  among  the  really  valuable  geographical  evidences  of  the  truth 
of  the  Bible  which  have  been  accumulating  of  late  years. 

Sailing  from  Crete — A  violent  Storm,  vers.  9-17. 

Yer.  9.  Fair  Havens.  On  the  south  coast  of  Crete,  and  still  so 
called.  It  lies  a  few  miles  east  of  Cape  Matala,  beyond  which  (west- 
wards) the  coast  suddenly  trends  to  the  north. — The  voyage  was 
now  dangerous.  The  old  navigators  were  not  afraid  to  try  the 
open  sea.     We  have  an  instance  of  a  perfectly  open  voyage  in  Paul's 


392  ACTS  XXVII.  [27:  10-12. 


10  gone  by,  Paul  admonished  them,  and  said  unto  tliem, 
Sirs,  I  perceive  that  the  voyage  will  be  with  injury 
and  much  loss,  not  only  of  the  lading  and  the  ship, 

11  but  also  of  our  lives.  But  the  centurion  gave  more 
heed  to  the  master  and  to  the  owner  of  the  ship,  than 

12  to  those  things  which  were  spoken  by  Paul.  And  be- 
cause the  haven  was  not  commodious  to  winter  in,  the 
more  part  advised  to  put  to  sea  from  thence,  if  by  any 
means  they  could  reach  Phoenix,  and  winter  there ; 
which  is   a   haven  of  Crete,  looking  ^  north-east  and 

1  Gr.  down  the  south-west  wind  and  down  the  north-west  wind 

return  from  his  last  missionary  expedition  (Acts  21  :  2,  3).  But  in 
this  case  the  season  was  very  stormy.  The  sky  might  be  expected  to 
be  overcast.  What  the  old  sailors  especially  dreaded,  having  no  com- 
pass, was  the  absence  of  any  means  of  making  observations  of  the  sun 
and  stars  (see  ver.  20).  Moreover,  it  is  highly  probable  from  what 
immediately  follows  that  the  ship  had  received  great  damage,  and  was 
already  in  an  unseaworthy  condition. — The  Fast.  The  Day  of 
Atonement,  which  took  place  on  the  10th  of  Tisri,  about  the  beginning 
of  oar  October.  Paul  was  not  likely  to  leave  such  a  memorable  day 
pass  unregarded  — Paul  admonished  them.  Here  we  see  the 
Apostle,  who  at  first  was  merely  an  obscure  prisoner,  assuming  a  posi- 
tion among  the  people  on  board  the  ship  of  influence.  He  seems  to 
have  spoken  from  foresight  gained  by  observation.  Certainly  Paul  had 
had  very  large  experience  of  the  sea  and  its  changes  (2  Cor,  11 :  25, 
which  was  written  some  years  before  this).  The  more  reverential 
view  is  that  he  did  speak  under  a  consciousness  of  divine  teaching 
(ver.  23). 

Ver.  11.  The  master  and  the  owner.  The  former  had  to  do 
with  the  steering  and  working  of  the  vessel,  the  latter  with  the  pro- 
prietorship of  the  vessel  or  cargo,  or  both.  Looking  at  the  matter 
from  different  points  of  view,  their  united  opinion  was  felt  to  be  very 
weighty.  It  is  evident  from  the  form  of  kneidsTo  and  leyofievoi^,  that 
there  was  a  prolonged  and  somewhat  evenly -balanced  discussion.  The 
centurion,  too,  as  was  natural,  had  a  great  part  in  settling  the  question, 
though  not,  as  we  see  from  the  next  verse,  an  absolutely  decisive  part. 

Ver.  12.  Not  commodious  to  winter  in.  The  supply  of  pro- 
visions, as  well  as  the  soundings  and  the  shelter,  had  to  be  taken  into 
account.  The  exact  knowledge  of  this  roadstead,  which  we  now  have 
through  the  surveys  of  British  officers,  shows  that  the  case  might  have 
been  reasonably  argued  on  both  sides  — The  more  part  advised  to 
put  to  sea.  The  voice  of  the  majority  prevailed.  This  is  another 
proof  that  there  was  a  prolonged  and  free  discussion  as  to  the  wisdom 
of  remaining  in  the  harbor  of  Fair  Havens. — Phcenix      As  to  this 


27 ;  13,  14.]  ACTS  XXVII.  393 

13  south-east.  And  when  the  south  wind  blew  softly, 
supposing  that  they  had  obtained  their  purpose,  they 
weighed  anchor  and  sailed  along  Crete,  close  in  shore. 

14  But  after  no  long  time  there  beat  down  from  it  a  tem- 

harbor  of  Crete,  it  might  be  said  that  we  have  nothing  to  do  with  it, 
inasmuch  as  Paul's  ship  never  reached  it.  But,  in  ftict,  the  informa- 
tion which  we  now  possess  concerning  it  furnishes  very  important 
and  interesting  elucidations  of  the  truthfulness  and  accuracy  of  this 
narrative.— ^Looking  north-east  and  south-east.  That  is,  facing 
these  points  of  the  compass,  or  rather,  facing  the  winds  blowing  from 
the  north-east  and  south-east.  Looked  at  from  the  sea,  the  town  or 
harbor  faced  the  south-west  and  north-west,  toward  which  points  the 
winds  blew  (see  margin).  After  a  long  period  of  doubt  Phoenix  has 
been  identified  with  Sutro.  This  point  was  entirely  settled  and  made 
clear  by  the  publication  of  the  charts  of  our  British  surveying  officers. 
It  is  a  place  of  admirable  shelter,  with  deep  water  close  under  the 
rocks,  and  precisely  protected  from  south-west  and  north-west  winds, 
as  was  said  in  the  discussion  at  Fair  Havens. 

Ver.  13.  Supposing  that  they  had  obtained  their  purpose. 
The  phrase  expresses  the  utmost  confidence.  And  this  was  natural. 
In  tAvo  respects  an  encouraging  change  of  weather  took  place — the 
wind  was  no  longer  violent ;  and  it  blew  from  the  south.  It  appeared 
that  they  could  very  easily  accomplish  their  intention.  A  vessel  that 
could  sail  within  seven  points  of  the  wind  would  have  no  difficulty  in 
rounding  Cape  Matala,  which  was  a  few  miles  off,  west  by  south.  And 
thence  to  Phoenix,  within  three  hours'  sail,  the  wind,  if  it  remained 
the  same,  would  be  as  favorable  as  possible.  In  this  confidence  they 
were  coasting  close  hy  Crete,  and,  as  we  find  afterwards  (ver.  16),  with 
so  little  fear  that  the  boat  was  towing  behind.  But  the  land  is  very 
high,  and  a  gale  suddenly  swept  down  upon  them  from  one  of  the 
gullies  among  the  mountains. 

Ver.  14.  After  no  long  time.  How  suddenly  violent  changes  may 
take  place'when  we  least  expect  them,  and  when  we  have  thought  that 
already  we  have  '  gained  our  purpose !'  Every  part  of  the  narrative, 
and  this  pai-t  very  particularly,  admits  of  being  turned  into  an  admi- 
rable sermon.  As  to  the  actual  facts  of  the  case,  the  sailing  books 
which  contain  directions  for  navigating  these  coasts,  tell  us  that  it 
very  often  happens  that  after  a  gentle  southerly  wind  a  violent  gale 
from  the  north-east  comes  on  suddenly.  As  to  the  exact  point  where 
the  change  took  place  in  the  instance  under  consideration,  we  cannot 
precisely  determine  this ;  but  it  was  evidently  '  not  long  after '  they 
rounded  Cape  Matala,  when  they  would  be  closest  to  the  shore. — A 
tempestuous  wind,  .  .  .  Euraquilo.  The  word  translated 
'tempestuous'  is  very  strong.  It  was  a  typhoon  [hvEiwq  tvouvikoc;),  a 
hurricane.  As  to  the  precise  name  of  the  wind,  the  manuscripts  vary 
as  to  the  reading,  and  are  rather  evenly  balanced  between  Euroclydon 


894  ACTS  XXVir.  [27:  15,16. 

15  pestuous  wind,  which  is  called  Euraquilo :  and  when 
the  ship  was  caught,  and  could  not  face  the  wind,  we 

16  gave  way  to  it  and  were  driven.     And  running  under 
the  lee  of  a  small  island  called,  ^Cauda,  we  were  able, 

iMany  ancient  authorities  read  Clauda. 

and  Euraquilo.  There  is  a  presumption  at  first  sight  in  favor  of  the 
former  word,  partly  because  it  is  a  very  strange  word,  and  partly 
bocause  the  phrase  '  a  wind  called  Euroclydon  '  seems  to  call  attention 
to  a  popular  name  of  the  wind  used  by  the  sailors.  The  Sinaitic  MS., 
however,  has  turned  the  scale  in  favor  of  Euraquilo.  The  gale  blew 
more  or  less  from  the  east,  and  as  it  came  'down  from'  the  island, 
and  drove  the  ship  to  the  southward,  it  blew  more  or  less  from  the 
north.  In  popular  language,  it  was  a  nuvth-easterly  gale.  *  We  here 
naturally  think  of  the  beautiful  stanza  of  the  Greek  hymn  of  Anatolius 
(d.  4o8),  containing  the  word  Euroclydon : 

Eidge  of  the  mountain  wave,  lower  thy  crest! 
Wail  of  Euroclydon,  be  thou  at  rest ! 
Sorrow  can  never  Iic,  darkness  must  fly, 
Where  saith  the  Light  of  light,  Peace  !  it  is  I ! 

Ver.  15.     The   ship  was  caught.     Here,  again,  a  very  strong 

expression  is  used  in  the  original  implying  that  the  wind  seized  hold 
of  the  ship,  as  it  were,  and  wnirled  her  out  of  her  course. —  Could 
not  face  the  v^ind.  The  literal  meaning  is,  'could  not  look  at  the 
wind  ;'  and  the  phrase  is  made  all  the  more  expressive  because  in 
ancient  ships  eyes  were  painted  on  each  side  of  the  prow.  This  is 
part  of  that  personification  of  a  ship  which  has  been  common  in  all 
ages  and  nations,  and  which  leads  to  some  of  the  singular  language 
used  by  our  own  sailors  (see  ver.  27). — Gave  -way  to  it.  Paul 
would  hardly  speak  as  though  at  this  moment  he  had  anj^  responsibility 
in  the  management  of  the  ship.  In  the  first  instance  they  scudded 
before  the  wind  ;  they  had  no  choice  in  the  matter.  It  is  worth  while 
to  observe  that  two  verses  below,  where  reftrence  is  made  to  certain 
practical  steps  taken  by  the  sailors,  the  word  is  not  we  but  they  were 
driven. 

Ver,  16.  Under  the  lee  of  a  small  island  called  Cauda. 
Under  its  shelter  they  would  have,  for  a  short  time,  comparatively 
smooth  water,  which  was  a  matter  of  the  utmost  importance  in  their 
preparations  for  riding  out  the  storm.  The  modern  name  of  the  island 
is  (lozo.  It  lies  nearly  south-west  from  Cape  Matala,  a  circumstance 
which  helps  us  to  determine  the  direction  of  the  wind. — "With  diffi- 
culty, to  secure  the  boat.  The  row  boat.  It  is  not  impossible 
that  Luke  and  Paul  themselves  gave  some  aid.  The  first  instinct  of 
the  sailors  would  be  to  make  sure  of  the  boat.  But  to  g  t  it  up  on 
deck  with  so  furious  a  wind  blowing,  and  in  so  heavj'  a  sea,  was  not 


27:  17.]  ACTS  XXYII.  305 

17  with  difficulty,  to  secure  the  boat :  and  when  they  had 
hoisted  it  up,  they  used  helps,  under-girding  the  ship  ; 
and,  fearing  lest  they  should  be  cast  upon  the  Syrtis, 
they  lowered  the  gear,  and  so  were  driven. 

easy,  which  accounts  for  the  strong  language  employed  here.  In  order 
to  accomplish  their  purpose,  taking  advantage  of  the  temporary  lull 
under  the  lee  of  Cauda,  they  would  bring  the  ship's  head  round 
towards  the  north,  and  bring  the  boat  up  to  the  davits  on  the  larboard 
side,  which  would  be  sheltered  from  the  wind.  It  is  important  to 
observe  this  ;  for  the  vessel,  as  we  shall  see,  drifted  afterwards  with 
her  starboard  side  to  the  wind. 

Ver.  17.  They  used  helps,  under-girding  the  ship.  The 
timbers  were  in  danger  of  parting,  and  they  artificially  strengthened 
the  vessel  by  passing  ropes  round  it  over  the  gunwale  and  under  the 
keel.  This  process  is  called  f rapping  in  the  English  navy  ;  and  before 
the  large  use  of  iron  in  modern  shipbuilding,  the  process  was  by  no 
means  uncommon  in  cases  of  great  peril  Several  instances  are  given 
in  Conybeare  and  Howson's  ^S'^  Paul. — The  Syrtis.  A  part  of  the 
sea,  full  of  shoals,  on  the  north  coast  of  Africa.  The  ancient  naviga- 
tors dreaded  this  place,  Hei-e  Virgil  placed  the  shipwreck  of  ^Eneas. 
It  lay  to  the  south-west  of  the  ship.  Thus  we  have  another  element 
here  for  determining  the  direction  of  the  wind.  If  they  continued  to 
run  before  the  wind,  they  feared  lest  they  should  be  driven  into  the 
Syrtis.  Hence  the  wind  blew  from  the  north-east. — Lowered  the 
gear.  What  they  brought  down  upon  deck  was,  no  doubt,  the  heavy 
top-hamper  of  the  masts.  The  rig  of  ships  at  this  date  consisted  of 
heavy  square  sails,  each  with  an  immense  yard,  and  this  would  neces- 
sitate the  presence  of  other  heavy  gear.  The  sailors  laid  the  ship  to  ; 
and,  her  head  being  already  to  the  north,  they  laid  her  to  o??  the  star- 
board tack,  or  with  her  right  side  to  the  wind.  This  is  done  by  setting 
a  --^mall  amount  of  sail,  and  with  the  united  action  of  the  wind  on  this 
sail,  and  of  the  rudder  on  the  water,  keeping  the  ship's  head  as  near 
the  wind  as  possible.  This  is  a  method  familiar  to  all  sailors  when 
their  design  is  to  ride  out  a  storm. — So  were  driven.  When  a 
ship  is  laid  to,  she  does  not  remain  stationary,  but  drifts;  and  the 
questions  arise  as  to  the  direction  in  which,  and  the  rate  at  which,  she 
drifts.  Any  experienced  sailors  would  say  that,  under  the  circum- 
stances now  before  us,  the  rate  would  be  about  a  mile  and  a  half  an 
hour.  The  direction  depends  on  two  conditions.  First,  we  must  in- 
quire how  near  the  vessel  would  lie  to  the  wind.  Now,  it  may  be  said 
with  confidence,  that  if  this  Alexandrian  ship  could  sail  and  make 
progress  in  fair  weather  within  seven  points  of  the  wind,  she  would 
be  within  about  six  points  of  the  wind  when  laid  to.  Thus,  the  wind 
blowing  from  the  east-north-east,  her  head  would  point  due  north.  A 
ship,  however,  does  not,  under  such  circumstances,  make  progress  in 
the  direction  in  which  her  bow  p:ints.     Allowance  must  be  made  for 


396  ACTS  XXVII.  [27 :  18-21. 


^-^c 


Chapter  27:  18-26. 
^auVs  Address  to  the  People  on  Board, 

18  And  as  we  laboured  exceedingly  with  the  storm,  the 

19  next  day  they  began  to  throw  the  freight  overboard  ;  and 
the  third  day  they  cast  out  with  their  own  hands  the 

20  ^tackling  of  the  ship.  And  when  neither  sun  nor 
stars  shone  upon  us  for  many  days,  and  no  small  tem- 
pest lay  on  uSj  all  hope  that  we  should  be  saved  was 

21  now  taken  away.      And  when  they  had  been  long 

1  Ov,  furniture. 

lee-way ;  she  drifts  more  or  less  to  leeward  ;  and  here,  using  the  ex- 
perience of  sailors  as  our  guide,  we  may  say  that  this  lee-way  would 
amount  to  about  seven  points.  Thus  the  actual  course  of  the  ship  was 
within  thirteen  points  of  the  wind,  or  west  by  north. 

PauTs  Address  to  the  People  on  Board,  vers.  18-26. 

Ver.  18.  To  throw  the  freight  overboard.  The  pressure 
of  the  storm  was  very  great,  but  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  danger 
which  had  been  apprehended  had  occurred— in  spite  of  the  undergird- 
ing,  the  ship  had  sprung  a  leak,  and  the  water  was  gaining  in  the 
hold.     For  a  similar  scene,  see  Jonah  1  :  5. 

Ver.  19.  The  tackling  of  the  ship.  This  was  on  the  third 
day.  The  danger  was  now  more  imminent,  and  a  part  of  the  ship's 
gear  would  not  have  been  thrown  overbord  without  urgent  necessity. 

Ver.  20.  Neither  sun  nor  stars  shone  upon  -us  for  many- 
days.  A  most  sei'ious  aggravation  of  the  danger.  The  great  reason 
which  made  ancient  navigation  perilous  in  the  winter  was,  that  the 
sky  is  then  more  overcast  than  at  other  seasons.  Of  course  at  that 
time  they  did  not  possess  the  compass,  and  were  to  a  large  extent  de- 
pendent upon  the  sun  and  the  stars  for  their  bearings  and  steering 
when  the  compass  was  not  available. — All  hope  .  .  .  Tvas  no"w  taken 
away.  Two  stages  in  the  progress  of  growing  fear  have  been  men- 
tioned in  the  two  preceding  verses.  This  is  the  third  stage,  absolute 
despair.  It  was  precisely  at  this  time,  when  no  escape  through  human 
means  seemed  possible,  that  Paul  interposed  with  divine  encourage- 
ment. 

Ver.  21.  They  had  been  long  without  food.  (See  ver.  33). 
One  great  aggravation  of  the  hardship  of  an  emergency  like  this  is 
the  want  of  regular  food.  The  fires  are  put  out,  the  provisions  are 
soaked,  and  meanwhile  all  hands  are  required  for  every  effort  that  can 
be  suggested  for  the  safety  of  the  ship.  One  absurd  comment  made 
on  this  passacce  is.  that  a  religious  fast  was  observed  by  the  crew  during 
the  storm.     Nothing  could  be  more  unreal  than  such  a  supposition. — 


27:22-26.]  ACTS  XXVII.  397 

without  food,  then  Paul  stood  forth  in  the  midst  of 
them,  and  said,  Sirs,  ye  should  have  hearkened  unto 
me,  and  not  have  set  sail  from  Crete,  and  have  gotten 

22  this  injury  and  loss.     And  now  I   exhort  you  to  be  of 
good  cheer :  for  there  shall  be  no  loss   of  life  among 

23  you,  but  only  of  the  ship.     For  there  stood  by  me  this 
night  an  angel  of  the  God  whose  I   am,  whom  also  I 

24  serve,  saying.  Fear  not,  Paul ;  thou  must  stand  before 
Caesar  :  and  lo,  God  hath  granted    thee  all  them   that 

25  sail  with  thee.     Wherefore,  sirs,  be  of  good  cheer :  for 
I  believe  God,  that  it  shall  be  even  so  as  it  hath  been 

26  spoken  unto  me.     Howbeit  we  must  be  cast  upon  a 
certain  island. 

Paul  stood  forth,  etc.  He  chose  some  place  on  the  deck,  whence 
he  could  most  easily  address  the  sailors,  soldiers,  and  passengers,  now 
•willingly  crowding  round  him.  We  feel  this  to  be  a  most  striking  and 
impressive  moment,  when  we  remember  that  he  had  been  praying 
while  they  had  been  struggling  with  the  storm,  and  that  he  is  now 
calm  and  confident  while  they  have  lost  all  hope. — Ye  should  have 
hearkened  unto  me.  His  purpose,  as  Chrysostom  says,  is  not  to 
taunt,  but  to  inspire  them  with  confidence  in  him  for  the  future. 

Ver.  23.  An  angel  of  the  God.  In  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
the  ministry  of  angels  is  made  conspicuous  (1 :  10;  10:  3;  12:  7; 
16  :9). — Whose  I  am,  whom  also  I  serve.  One  of  the  noblest 
utterances  that  ever  came  from  the  lips  of  man,  and  made  more  re- 
markable by  the  circumstances  under  which  the  words  were  uttered. 
As  addressed  to  the  hearers,  this  short  sentence  is  a  whole  sermon, 
full  of  meaning.  As  an  expression  of  Paul's  habitual  state  of  mind, 
it  is  invaluable.  His  speech  would  have  been  complete  without  it  ; 
but  he  cannot  help  showing  by  this  outburst  of  feeling  what  is  in  his 
heart.  Similar  instances  of  this  characteristic  of  Paul's  style  are  to 
be  found  in  Rom.  1:9;  Gal.  2 :  20. 

Ver.  24.  Fear  not,  Paul.  It  is  a  natural  inference  from  these 
words  that  Paul  himself  had  been  experiencing  fear.  That  he  was 
not  a  stranger  to  fear,  is  evident  from  chap.  18 :  9,  nor  is  he  ashamed 
to  own  this  in  his  letters. — Caesar.  The  Roman  emperor  Nero  in 
Rome. — God  hath  granted  thee  all,  etc.  This  seems  to  show 
that  he  had  been  engaged  not  only  in  prayer,  but  in  intercessory 
prayer.     Compare  the  language  in  Philem.  22. 


ACTS  XXVII.  [27:27-29. 


Chapter  27:  27-32. 
Fears  in  the  Night. 

27  But  when  the  fourteenth  night  was  come,  as  we 
were  driven  to  and  fro  in  the  sea  of  Adria,  about  mid- 
night the  sailors  surmised  that  they  were  drawing  near 

28  to  some  country ;  and  they  sounded,  and  found 
twenty  fathoms :  and  after  a  little  space,  they  sounded 

29  again,  and  found  fifteen  fathoms.     And  fearing  lest 

Fears  in  the  Night,  vers.  27-32. 

Ver.  27.  The  fourteenth  night.  That  is  from  their  leaving 
Fair  Havens. — In  the  sea  of  Adria.  The  popular  language  of  our 
own  day  might  easily  lead  us  to  suppose  that  the  Gulf  of  Venice  is  in- 
tended. But  this  would  not  be  in  accordance  with  the  use  of  geo- 
graphical tei-ms  in  classical  times.  Adria,  denoted  the  central  basin  of 
the  Mediterranean,  between  Sicily  and  Greece,  and  extending  as  fixr 
southwards  as  the  coast  of  Africa.  To  quote  two  well-known  geographers, 
Ptolemy  distinguishes  clearly  between  the  Adriatic  f5ea  and  the  Adriatic 
Gulf:  and  Pausanias  says  that  the  Straits  of  Messimi  separate  the 
Tyrrhene  Sea  from  the  Adriatic  Sea.— About  midnight  the  sailors 
surmised,  etc.  The  thought  could  not  have  been  suggested  by  any- 
thing which  they  saw,  as  there  were  no  lighthouses  then  to  warn  them, 
nor  by  the  fragrance  of  gardens,  as  has  been  fancifully  supposed,  for 
the  wind  blew  towards  the  land.  They  heard  the  sound  of  l)reakers, 
■which  is  a  terrible  sound  to  seamen,  and  is  often  perceived  by  sailors, 
when  the  ears  of  others  would  not  recognize  it.  Thus  it  is  true  to 
nature  that  Luke  should  observe  that  it  was  the  sailors  who  became 
conscious  of  this  danger.  As  to  that  part  of  the  coast  of  Melita  there 
must  have  been  infallibly  breaker  on  Koura  Point  that  night. 

Ver.  28.  Sounded,  and  fouad  twenty  fathoms.  On  hearing 
the  breakers,  their  instinct  would  be  to  heave  the  lead  and  ascertain 
the  depth  of  the  water.  The  fathom  of  the  Greeks  is  practically  the 
same  measure  of  length  as  our  fathom,  about  six  or  eight  feet. — 
Fifteen  fathoms.  There  is  nothing  extraordinary  in  finding  a  depth 
of  fifteen  fathoms  soon  after  a  depth  of  twenty  fathoms  had  been  found. 
But  we  must  remember  that  this  shallower  depth  was  found  in  succes- 
sion to  the  greater  depth  in  the  direction  in  %ohich  the  ship  was  drifting, 
and  that  there  had  been  time  to  ascertain  this  ivithout  the  ship  striking. 
They  were  now  shoaling  the  water,  and  the  only  possible  expedient  for 
safety  was  to  anchor. 

Ver.  29,  Haply  we  should  be  cast  ashore  on  rocky 
ground.  It  might  seem  that  they  not  only  heard  breakers  at  a  dis- 
tance, but  heard  them  directly  ahead.  Such  is  Mr.  Smith's  view. 
This  is  not,  however,  necessarily  the  meaning  of  the  words,  which  may 


27:  30,  31.]  ACTS  XXVII.  309 

haply  we  should  be  cast  ashore  on  rocky  ground,  they 
let  go  four  anchors  from  the  stern,  and  Svished  for  the 

30  day.  And  as  the  sailors  were  seeking  to  flee  out  of 
the  ship,  and  had  lowered  the  boat  into  the  sea,  under 
colour  as  though  they  would  lay  out  anchors  from  the 

31  foreship,  Paul  said  to  the  centurion  and  to  the  soldiers, 
Except  these  abide  in   the  ship,  ye  cannot  be  saved. 

1  Or,  prayed. 

express  only  a  general  fear. — Four  anchors  from  the  stern.  It 
is  customary  to  anchor  from  the  bow,  but  it  is  quite  possible  to  anchor 
from  the  stern.  This  was  done  by  Lurd  Nelson  at  the  battle  of  Copen- 
hagen in  1801,  and  Lord  Exmouth  at  tlie  battle  of  Algiers  in  1810. 
Ancient  ships  were  so  built  tliat  they  frequently  anchored  at  the  stern. 
Thii?  may  be  seen  in  the  East  now  in  small  vessels  of  the  old  build  ; 
and  Mr.  Smith  has  produced  an  illustration  from  a  sculpture  at  11  er- 
culaneum  strictly  contemporary  with  tht»  Apostle  Paul. — Wished  for 
the  day.  Literally,  '  prayed  for  the  day,'  as  in  the  margin,  and 
some  have  supposed  that  actual  prayers  were  offered  up.  This  suppo- 
sition is  hardly  natural.  The  day  was  sure  to  dawn.  The  anxiety, 
however,  of  all  on  board  is  expressed  as  strongly  as  possible.  At  this 
point,  without  anticipating  the  particulars  of  the  argument,  which 
must  be  summed  up  afterwards,  we  may  consider  what  the  probabili- 
ties are  as  to  the  place  where  the  ship  was  anchored.  Fourteen  days 
had  passed  since  she  left  Fair  Havens.  Allowance  must  be  made  for 
about  a  day  before  she  was  laid  to  on  the  starboard  tack,  under  the  lee 
of  Cauda.  The  direction  of  her  drift  was  west  by  north,  and  the  rate 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  an  hour,  or  thirty-six  miles  in  the  twenty-four 
hours.  Now  Malta  lies  west  by  north  from  Cauda,  and  the  distance 
is  480  miles.  1"he  coincidence  is  so  remarkable  as  to  be  startling ; 
and  yet  there  .is  nothing  forced  in  this  way  of  viewing  the  matter. 
Admiral  Penrose  and  Mr.  Smith,  at  different  times,  and  quite  inde- 
pendently, took  this  problem  in  hand  with  the  view  of  solving  it  on 
the  principles  of  practical  seamanship,  with  just  that  slight  difference 
in  their  results  which  gives  great  additional  force  to  the  argument.  It 
seems  impossible  to  believe  that  Paul  at  this  moment  could  have  been 
anywhere  else  except  on  the  coast  of  Melita. 

Ver.  30.  Lowered  the  boat.  The  row  boat  which  had  before, 
when  the  storm  began,  been  hoisted  up  (ver.  16). 

Ver.  31.  The  centurion  and  to  the  soldiers.  Paul  said 
nothing  to  the  sailors,  but  spoke  at  once  to  his  friend  the  centurion  ; 
and  he  used  with  him  and  the  soldiers  the  argument  which  is  of 
greatest  weight  in  such  a  case,  the  appeal  to  self-preservation.  His 
thoughtful  vigilance,  even  in  the  hours  of  darkness,  was  eminently 
characteristic. 

Ver.  32.     Cut  away  the  ropes.     With  military  promptitude  the 


400  ACTS  XXVII.  [27:  32-36. 

32  Then  the  soldiers  cut  away  the  ropes  of  the  boat,  and 

let  her  fall  off. 

Chapter  27:  33-38. 
They  partake  of  Food  and  lighten  the  Ship, 

33  And  while  the  day  was  coming  on,  Paul  besought 
them  all  to-  take  some  food,  saying.  This  day  is 
the  fourteenth  day  that  ye  wait   and  continue   fast- 

34  ing,  having  taken  nothing.  Wherefore  I  beseech 
you  to  take  some  food  :  for  this  is  for  your  safety :  for 
there  shall  not  a  hair  perish  from  the  head  of  any  of 

35  you.  And  when  he  had  said  this,  and  had  taken 
bread,  he  gave  thanks  to  God  in  the  presence  of  all  : 

36  and  he  brake  it,  and  began  to  eat.  Then  were  they 
all   of  good  cheer,   and  themselves   also   took   food. 

soldiers  settled  the  question,  The  boat  drifted  off  into  the  darkness, 
and  was  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks  A  very  good  religious  moral, 
full  of  very  varied  instruction,  might  be  connected  with  the  story  of 
this  boat. 

They  partake  of  Food  and  lighten  the  Ship,  vers.  33-38. 

Ver.  33.  BesougLt  them  all.  Once  more  we  see  the  Apostle 
in  the  position  of  command,  as  the  only  person  in  whom  confidence 
was  placed.  Whatever  he  did  now  might  be  expected  to  have  a  dis- 
tinctly religious  effect  upon  the  minds  of  the  crew  and  the  passengers. 
— Having  taken  nothing.  He  uses  words  naturally,  in  their 
popular  sense.  Those  whom  he  addressed  knew  what  he  meant.  A 
fortnight  had  passed  without  any  regular  meal  (ver.  21).  Even  from 
the  very  mention  of  this  subject,  it  is  evident  that  there  was  much 
suffering  fx'om  hunger  and  weakness.  Some  hours  at  least,  apparently 
even  a  longer  time,  had  passed  since  that  incident ;  and  now  they 
must  have  been  utterly  exhausted  from  the  want  of  proper  food. 

Ver  34.  This  is  for  your  safety,  Their  imminent  danger  was 
from  drowning.  They  had  laborious  work  before  them  ;  and  it  was 
necessary  that  they  should  recruit  their  strength. — There  shall  not 
a  hair  perish,  etc  This  was  a  proverb  denoting  exemption  from 
the  slightest  harm  (1  Kings  1  :  52;  Matt.  10:  30;  Luke  21  :   18). 

Ver.  35.  Gave  thanks  to  God.  It  is  diflBcult  to  believe  that 
there  was  not  at  this  moment  in  his  mind  a  reminiscence  of  the 
Eucharist,  especially  when  we  observe  that  the  'breaking'  of  the 
bread  is  specified.     See  Luke  24  :  30,  35. 

Ver.  36.     Of  good  cheer,  etc.     In  one  sense  the  meal  may  truly 


27:  37-39.]  ACTS  XXVII.  401 

37  And  we  were  in  all  in  the  ship  ^two  hundred  three- 

38  score  and  sixteen  souls.  And  when  they  had  eaten 
enough,  they  lightened  the  ship,  throwing  out  the 
wheat  into  the  sea. 

Chapter  27:  39-44. 
Ultimate  Escape  of  all  to  Land. 

39  And  when  it  was  day,  they  knew  not  the  land  : 
but    they   perceived    a   certain    bay   with    a   beach, 

1    Some  ancient  authorities  read  aboiU  threescore  and  sixteen  souls.* 
*ouiit  marg.  i. — Am.  Com. 

be  said  to  have  been  eucbaristic.  This  is  one  of  those  passages  in  the 
Acts  which  tends,  though  it  records  many  discouraging  circumstances, 
to  give  a  cheerful  character  to  the  book.  On  this  occasion  the  people 
on  board  had  lost  all  heart,  so  that  even  the  desire  for  food  was  gone. 
Ver.  38.  Lightened  the  ship.  The  cargo  was  now  of  no  use, 
as  it  was  known  that  the  ship  would  be  lost ;  and  there  were  two  rea- 
sons for  throwing  it  overboard — the  ship  was  to  be  run  aground, 
and  it  was  desirable  to  make  it  draw  as  little  water  as  possible. 
Moreover,  the  ship  having  been  for  many  days  on  the  starboard  tjick, 
it  is  probable  that  the  cargo  had  shifted,  and  that  the  vessel  was  heel- 
ing over  to  the  port  side.  In  cargoes  of  grain,  unless  the  grain  is 
packed  in  sacks,  such  displacement  is  very  liable  to  occur. — The 
^«rheat.  In  the  late  Professor  Blunt's  Undesigned  Coincidences  (p.  326) 
are  some  remarks  on  this  subject,  which  present  so  good  an  example 
of  this  kind  of  argument  that  it  is  worth  while  to  quote  them  at 
length  :  '  In  ver.  5  we  are  informed  that  the  vessel  into  which  the 
centurion  removed  Paul  and  the  other  prisoners  at  Myra  belonged  to 
Alexandria,  and  was  sailinrj  into  Italy.  From  ver.  10  we  learn  that  it 
was  a  merchant  vessel,  for  mention  is  made  of  its  lading,  but  the 
nature  of  the  lading  is  not  directly  stated.  In  this  verse,  we  find,  by 
the  merest  chance,  of  what  its  cargo  consisted.  The  freight  was  natu- 
rally enough  kept  till  it  could  be  kept  no  longer,  and  then  we  dis- 
cover for  the  first  time  that  it  was  ivheat,  the  very  article  which  such 
vessels  were  accustomed  to  carry  from  Egypt  to  Italy.  These  notices, 
so  detached  from  each  other,  tell  a  continuous  story,  but  it  is  not  per- 
ceived till  they  are  brought  together.' 

Ultimate  Escape  of  all  to  Land,  vers.  39-44. 

Ver.   39.     They  knew  not  the  land.     At  first  sight  this  may 
cause  surprise ;  for  Melita  was  a  well-known  island,  having  an  admir- 
able  harbor,  familiar  to  Alexandrian  sailors.     But  these  sailors  were 
not  at  this  moment  in  the  harbor  of  Valetta,    but  on  a  part  of  the 
26 


402  ACTS  XXVII.  [27:  40-42. 

and   thev    took    counsel    whether   they  could    Mrive 

40  the  ship  upon  it.  And  casting  oiF  the  anchors,  they 
left  them  in  the  sea,  at  the  same  time  loosing  the  bands 
of  the  rudders  ;   and  hoisting  up  the  foresail  to  the 

41  wind,  they  made  for  the  beach.  But  lighting  upon  a 
place  where  two  seas  met,  they  ran  the  vessel  aground  ; 
and  the  foreship  struck  and  remained  unmoveable, 
but  the  stern  began  to  break  up  by  the  violence  of  the 

42  waves.     And  the  soldiers'  counsel  was  to  kill  the  pris- 

1  Some  ancient  autliorities  read  bring  the  ship  safe  to  shore. 

coast  wliicli  they  had  never  seen  before.  An  English  seaman  might 
have  made  many  voyages  between  New  York  and  Liverpool,  and  yet 
might  be  puzzled  (even  with  the  help  of  such  charts  as  the  old  Greek 
sailors  did  vot  possess)  if  he  found  himself,  in  foggy  weather,  off  a 
part  of  the  coast  of  North  Wales  which  he  had  never  seen  before. 

Ver.  40.  Casting  off  the  anchors.  By  cutting  the  ropes  which 
connected  the  ship  with  them.  They  were  of  no  further  use,  for  it 
was  known  that  the  ship  would  be  destroyed. — Loosing  the  bands 
of  the  rudders.  The  cutting  away  of  the  anchors  was  quite  neces- 
sary for  what  was  being  done  here.  See  the  Excursus  at  the  end  of 
the  chapter.  The  rudders  were  now  absolutely  necessary  in  order  to 
steer  the  ship  precisely,  so  that  she  might  take  the  ground  at  the 
right  point.  Tlie  ropes  which  connected  the  ship  with  the  anchors 
might  possibly  have  been  an  impedient  to  the  free  action  of  the  paddle- 
rudders. 

Ver.  41.  Lighting  upon  a  place  where  two  seas  met. 
Assuming  that  the  place  of  anchoring  in  the  night  was  that  which  has 
been  determined  above,  we  have  here  a  remarkable  help  for  the  iden- 
tification of  the  exact  place  of  Paul's  shipwreck.  The  reference  here 
is  to  a  strait  between  two  seas.  As  the  ship  parted  from  her  anchors, 
and  rapidly  moved  towards  the  beach,  those  on  board  would  observe 
on  their  right  the  small  island  of  Salmonetta  with  a  channel  between 
it  and  that  coast.  This  was  unexpected ;  and  it  impressed  itself 
vividly  on  Luke's  mind. — They  ran  the  vessel  aground.  The 
Greek  word  here  is  one  of  those  many  technical  terms  which  are  used 
in  this  narrative  with  strict  accuracy.  In  the  Appendix  to  the  arti- 
cle 'Ship'  in  the  American  edition  of  Smith's  Dictionary  of  the  Bihie. 
is  a  very  impoitant  catalogue  of  details  of  this  kind. — The  foreship 
struck  .  .  .  but  the  stern  began  to  break.  Mr.  Smith  of  Jor- 
danhill,  enters  very  fully  and  carefully  into  the  conditions  of  this  part 
of  the  narrative,  and  shows  that  they  are  accurately  met  by  the  facts 
of  the  case.  He  also  shows  that  the  soundings  of  St.  Paul's  Bay,  ex- 
actly correspond  with  what  we  read  (ver.  28).. 

Ver.  42.     The  soldiers'  counsel  was  to  kill  the  prisoners. 


27:43,44].  ACTS  XXVII.  403 


oners,  lest  any  of  them  should  swim  out,  and  escape. 

43  But  the  centurion,  desiring  to  save  Paul,  stayed  them 
from  their  purpose ;  and  commanded  that  they  which 
could  swim  should  cast  themselves  overboard,  and  get 

44  first  to  the  land :  and  the  rest,  some  on  planks,  and 
some  on  other  things  from  the  ship.  And  so  it  came 
to  pass,  that  they  all  escaped  safe  to  the  land. 

We  have  here  an  illustration  of  the  extreme  cruelty  of  the  Roman 
military  system.  But  we  have  also,  in  however  cruel  a  form,  an  indi- 
cation of  a  high  sense  of  duty.  Now  that  the  ship  had  struck,  and 
they  were  close  to  the  shore,  the  fear  of  the  soldiers  was  that  some  of 
the  prisoners  might  swim  out  and  escape.  In  two  passages  of  the  Acts 
(12  :  19  ;  16  :  27)  we  have  exemplifications  of  the  terrible  responsibility 
of  soldiers  in  charge  of  prisoners. 

Yer.  43.  The  centurion,  desiring  to  save  Paul,  stayed 
them  from  their  purpose.  This  is  singularly  true  to  the  spirit  of 
the  Avhole  course  of  the  narrative.  We  have  here  a  new  indication  of 
the  power  which  Paul  exercised  over  the  minds  of  those  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  It  seems  that  Julius  was  willing  that*  the  other 
prisoners  should  be  killed,  but  he  wished  to  secure  the  safety  of  Paul. 
Thus  the  other  prisoners  owed  their  lives  to  the  Apostle. Com- 
manded. This  military  order  may  have  been  of  great  importance  at 
this  moment  of  hesitation,  when  many  may  have  feared  to  go  through 
the  breakers,  and  try  to  get  to  land.  It  also  indicates  that  perfect  dis- 
cipline was  maintained  on  board. — All  escaped  safe  to  land.  The 
same  strong  Greek  word  is  used  here  as  in  27  :  43  and  28  :  1.  As  to 
Paul's  part  in  this  experience  of  imminent  danger,  we  must  remembtr 
that  he  had  passed  through  it  at  least  three  times  before  (2  Col- 
li :  25). 

*  Practical  Notes  fon  the  whole  chapter).  The  servants  of  God  are  not  exem;it 
foom  the  usual  trials  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  man.  By  sea  they  may  l>e  tossed  about  on 
the  waves  and  threatened  with  shipwreck.— Even  the  most  painful  and  siormy  patlis 
are  watched  over  bj-  God.  He  is  the  confidence  of  them  that  are  far  olf  upon  the  sea 
(Ps.  65  :  5).  His  paths  are  in  the  greaf  deep.  Sailors,  too,  are  dear  to  Him. — More  im- 
portant than  all  things  else  is  a  man's  life.  He  is  willing  to  throw  away  money,  love 
position,  and  make  shipwreck  of  all  his  property  if  he  can  but  come  out  with  his  life. 
It  was  so  with  the  sailors  (ver.  38)  who  even  threw  the  wheat  into  the  sea.  The  life  is 
more  than  meat  and  the  budy  than  raiment.  But  of  how  much  greater  value  is  eter- 
nal life !  Hooper,  the  English  martyr  (d.  1.55.5)  said  '  Life  is  sweet  and  death  is  bitter 
but  eternal  life  is  more  sweet  and  eternal  death  is  more  bitter.'  Happy  is  he  who 
on  the  voyage  to  the  far-off  haven,  is  willing  to  give  up  everything  to  rescue  his  soul 
and  to  reach  the  heavenly  land  safe  (ver.  44).— Paul  as  the  picture  of  calm  and  un- 
ruffled dignity.  In  the  midst  of  the  turmoil  of  the  crew  and  the  beating  of 
the  waves  he  is  composed.  'He  does  not  intrude  his  advice.  But  he  gives 
it    again    and    again.      He    does    not    become    sullen    when    it    is  rejected.     He 


404  ACTS  XXVIL  [27:  44. 

gains- the  confidence  of  the  centurion,  yet  far  from  neglecting  the  ofiices  of  reh'gion 
he  carries  on  his  devotions  and  boldly  confesses  his  confidence  in  God. — It  is  well  to 
be  in  good  company  (ver.  24)  The  wicked  are  often  saved  for  the  sake  of  the  right- 
eous. So  God  would  have  spared  Sodom  if  there  had  been  ten  righteous  men  in  the 
city.  God-fearing  and  prayerful  men  are  the  salt  of  the  earth,  preserving  it  from  pu- 
trefaction.—' Faith  is  the  root  of  courage.  Be  of  good  cheer :  for  I  believe  God 
(ver.  25;.  Paul  was  in  perfect  peace  because  his  mind  was  stayed  on  God.  That  man 
can  endure  martyrdom  with  fortitude  who  has  faith  in  God,'  (Dr.  Wm.  M.  Taylor).— 
Prayer  does  not  absolve  from  the  duty  of  effort  nor  faith  from  the  e-xercise  of  foresight. 
Paul  fully  believed  the  cr-w  would  be  saved.  God  had  so  informed  him.  But  Paul 
did  not,  therefore,  fold  his  arms,  but  he  used  all  precautions  (vers.  31, 33,  39)  and  was 
as  vigilant  as  though  the  rescue  depended  entirely  upon  his  watching.— Some  shall 
barely  escape,  but  if  they  once  come  safe  to  the  other  shore  (ver.  44),  they  will  think 
their  trials  of  little  concern  compared  with  the  glory  which  there  dawns  upon  them. 

Excursus  on  the  Ships  .'VNd  Navigatiox  of  the  Ancients.— The  narrative  con- 
tained in  this  chapter,  even  if  we  put  on  one  side  its  sacred  character  as  part  of  an 
inspired  volume,  is  full  of  manifold  interest  No  other  single  document  of  antiquity 
gives  us  so  much  information  regarding  the  ships  and  navigation  of  the  ancients. 
Moreover,  certain  obscurities  in  the  narrative  have  now  been  entirely  cleared  away  by 
the  simple  expedient  of  applying  the  experience  of  j^ractical  searnanship  as  the  test  for 
solving  the  problems  Mhich  it  contains  ;  and  the  result  is,  that  this  chapter  is  so  well 
unilerstood,  and  felt  to  be  so  literally  true,  that  in  itself  it  is  one  of  the  strongest  evi- 
dences of  the  trustworthiness  of  the  book  of  the  Acts  It  Mill  be  convenient  to  put 
together  here,  in  a  small  space,  a  few  of  the  most  important  particulars  of  the  build 
and  capabilities  of  ancient  ships.  And,  in  the  first  place,  it  is  essential  to  remove  a 
popular  impression  that  the  merchant  ships  of  the  Mediterranean,  under  the  TJomnn 
Empire,  were  of  small  size  From  the  history  before  us  (ver.  31),  we  see  that  there 
were  276  persons  on  board  the  ship  in  which  Paul  was  wrecked  ;  and  it  is  impo"tant  to 
add  that,  after  shipwreck,  these  persons  were  conveyed  (28:  11)  from  Melita  to 
Italy  in  the  Castor  and  Polhiz,  in  addition  to  her  own  crew  and  passengers.  Now  it  is 
customary  for  transport  ships,  which  are  prepared  for  carrying  soldiprs,  to  allow  a  ton 
and  a  half  per  man.  This  at  once  gives  us  a  test  for  estimating  the  size  of  Alexan- 
drian corn  ships.  And  the  conclusion  which  we  reach  in  this  way  is  confirmed  V>y 
other  evidence.  Thus,  Josephus  informs  us  that  there  were  six  hundred  persons  on 
board  the  ship  from  which  he,  with  about  eighty  others,  escaped:  and  the  great  ship 
of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  which  forms  the  subject  of  one  of  Lucian's  Dialogues,  and 
which  is  described  as  driven  by  stress  of  weather  into  the  Piraeus,  is  estimated  fnnn 
the  dimensions  given,  to  have  been  of  1000  to  1100  tons  burden  ;  and  although  this 
vessel  was  probably  built  for  ostentation,  we  .<»ee  that  the  tonnage  of  these  trading 
ships  was  not  far  below  that  of  our  old  East  Tndiamen. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  ships  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans  were  more  clumsy  in 
their  build  and  rig  than  ours  But  it  would  be  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  that,  with  a 
favorable  wind,  they  sailed  slowly.  Their  rig  consisted  of  one,  or  more  than  one,  large 
square  sail,  and  nothing  is  more  favorable  than  this  for  a  run  before  the  wind.  In  the 
China  seas  during  the  monsoons,  junks  (which  are  rigged  in  this  way)  have  been  seen 
from  the  deck  of  a  British  sailing  vessel,  behind  in  the!*horizon  in  the  morning,  and  be- 
fore in  the  horizon  in  the  evening.    Several  specimens  of  rapid  voyages  could  be  given 


28:  1.]  ACTS  XXVIII.  405 

Chapter  28:  1-10. 

PauVs  Stay  in  Melita. 

28  :  1      And  when  we  were  escaped,  then  we  knew  that 

from  classical  an'iquity.  One  of  the  most  animated  is  that  furnished  by  Cato,  when  he 
held  up  afresh  fig  in  the  Senate  to  impress  on  his  countrymen  the  imminent  nearness  of 
their  enemy,  and  said,  '  This  fruit  was  gathered  fresh  at  Carthage  three  days  ago.'  It 
would  be  quite  safe  to  say  that  an  ancient  merchantman  could  sail  seven  knots  an  hour 
with  a  fair  wind  ;  and  this  conclusion  is  well  illustrated  by  what  we  read  in  Acts  IG,  20, 
and  28.  A  point  of  greater  importance  in  reference  \o  the  voyage  immediately 
before  our  attention  is  the  question  of  the  capability  of  an  ancient  ship  of  sailing 
near  the  wind.  That  a  ship  can  make  good  progress  when  the  direction  of  her  course 
forms  less  than  a  right  angle  with  the  direction  of  the  wind,  was  well  known  in  the 
earliest  times.  The  smallness  of  this  angle  depends  on  the  character  of  the  ship  and 
the  violence  of  the  wind.  A  modern  sailing  ship,  under  average  circumstances,  can 
sail  within  six  points  of  the  wind ;  and  it  would  be  safe  to  say  that  an  ancient  one 
conld  be  made  to  sail  within  seven  points.  Thus,  to  take  the  usual  divisions  of  the 
compass,  with  the  wind  blowing  from-  the  north-north-east  in  moderate  weather,  she 
could  make  good  a  course  north-west  by  north. 

Certain  peculiarities,  in  which  ancient  ships  differed  from  modem,  must  of  course 
be  borne  in  mind  in  considering  this  subject.  Thus,  partly  from  defective  construc- 
tion, and  partly  from  the  nature  of  the  rig,  which  caused  violent  action  in  a  gale  at 
the  base  of  the  mast,  they  were  peculiarly  liable  to  spring  leaks  and  to  founder. 
Hence,  the  frequent  habit  of  undergirding  or  frapping,  and  special  provision  was 
taken  on  board  for  this  purpose,  as  we  know  from  the  inventory  of  the  Attic  fleet  in 
its  flourishing  period,  which  is  inscribed  on  certain  marbles  dug  up  at  the  Piraeus  about 
forty-five  years  ago  (see  ver.  17).  But  especially  we  must  notice  two  other  peculiari- 
ties and  disadvantages  of  ancient  vessels.  The  hinged  rudder  at  the  stern,  with  which 
we  are  familiar,  was  not  known  to  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  In  fact,  the  earliest  proof 
of  the  use  of  it  is  to  be  found  on  the  coins  of  our  King  Edward  III.  Even  the  North- 
men in  their  voyages  during  the  Middle  Ages,  like  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  steered 
with  paddle  rudders,  one  on  each  quarter  (see  ver.  40).  Finally,  we  must  recollect  that 
the  Greeks  and  Romans,  like  the  Northmen,  were  ignorant  of  the  use  of  the  compass. 
Heme,  they  were  peculiarly  dependent  on  observation  of  the  sun  and  stars,  and  were 
conscious  of  danger  when  the  sky  was  overcast  for  a  long  period. 

PauVs  Stay  in  Meliia,  vers.  1-10. 

Yer.  1.     Melita.     The  island  was  very  well  known  to  traders  in 

the  Levant, -and  it  was  doubtless  quite  familiar  to  the  sailors,  and 
especially  the  captain,  in  this  case,  though  they  were  perplexed  when 
they  found  themselves  on  a  part  of  its  coast  which  was  not  familiar  to 
them.  It  is  situated  sixty  miles  south  of  Sicily,  and  is  nine  miles  broad 
by  seventeen  long.  It  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  British  crown. 
There  is  another  island  in  the  Adi'iatic,  which  was  also  known  by 
the  name  of  Melita,  and  in  the  seventeenth  century  there  was  a  heated 
controversy  as  to  which  one  was  here  meant.     There  can  be  no  doubt 


406  ACTS  XXVIII.  [28 :  2. 

2  the  island  was  called  ^Melita.  And  the  barbarians 
shewed  us  no  common  kindness  :  for  they  kindled  a 
fire,  and  received  us  all,  because  of  the  present  rain, 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  read  Melitene. 

that  modern  Malta  is  the  island  on  which  Paul  was  wrecked.  We 
have  seen  above  (vers.  29,  41)  that  irresistible  arguments  converge  to 
this  conclusion.  But  the  following  decisive  considerations  should  be 
added : — (a)  When  Paul  left  this  island,  he  sailed  by  Syracuse  and 
Rhegiura  to  Puteoli  (vers.  12,  13).  These  are  precisely  the  natural 
stages  for  a  voyage  from  Malta,  but  altogether  alien  from  any  reason- 
able relation  with  the  other  island,  {b)  Rome  was  the  destination  of 
Julius  and  his  prisoners,  and  from  the  Dalmatian  Meleda  in  the  Adri- 
atic the  natural  course  would  have  been  to  have  gone  not  by  the  road 
leading  through  Appii  Forum  (ver.  15),  but  by  a  totally  different  road, 
(c)  We  find  that  a  corn  ship  from  Alexandria,  bound  for  Puteoli,  had 
wintered  in  the  island  on  which  Paul  was  wrecked  (ver.  11).  The 
harbor  of  Malta  is  a  place  where  we  should  naturally  have  expected 
to  find  a  ship  under  such  circumstances ;  but  at  the  Dalmatian  Meleda 
she  would  have  been  altogether  out  of  her  course,  (d)  Under  the  cir- 
cumstances of  weather  described  above,  Paul's  ship  could  not  have 
readied  the  Dalmatian  island  without  a  miracle.  This  point  is  put  in 
the  MS.  notes  of  Admiral  Penrose,  whei^e  he  says :  '  If  Euroclydon 
[Euroaquila]  blew  in  such  a  direction  as  to  make  the  pilots  afraid  of 
being  driven  on  the  quicksands  (and  there  were  no  such  dangers  but 
to  the  south-west  of  them),  how  could  it  be  supposed  that  they  could 
be  driven  north  towards  the  Adriatic  ?  .  .  .  We  are  now  told  that  the 
Euroclydon  ceased  to  blow.  ...  To  have  drifted  up  the  Adriatic  to 
the  island  of  Meleda  in  the  requisite  curve,  and  to  have  passed  so 
many  islands  and  other  dangers  in  the  route,  would,  humanly  speak- 
ing, have  been  impossible.  The  distance  from  Cauda  to  this  Meleda 
is  not  less  than  720  geographical  miles,  and  the  wind  must  have  been 
long  from  the  south  to  make  this  voyage  in  fourteen  days.' 

Ver.  2.  The  barbarians  shewed  us  no  common  kindness. 
The  generous  and  sympathetic  conduct  of  these  people  is  strongly  con- 
trasted with  the  cruelty  and  plunder  that  have  often  disgraced  wreck- 
ers from  among  Christian  peoples.  The  word  was  not  used  as  we  use 
it  of  savages,  but  denoted  simply  those  who  did  not  speak  Greek  or 
Latin  (Rom.  1:  14;  1  Cor.  14:  11;  Col.  3:  11).  The  modern  Maltese 
speak  the  Arabic,  which  was  introduced  at  the  Mohammedan  conquest, 
with  a  slight  admixture  of  Italian  and  English.  This  condition  of 
things  is  in  some  degree  parallel  to  that  which  existed  under  the  Ro- 
man Empire.  Diodorus  Siculus  tells  us  that  this  island  was  originally 
colonized  by  the  Phoenicians. — They  kindled  a  fire.  Here  we 
touch  one  of  the  fantastic  objections  which  have  been  brought  forward 
against  the  identification  of  this  Melita  with  the  modern  Malta.  It  is 
said,  and  quite  truly,  that  there  is  now  a  great  absence  of  wood  in  the 


28 :  3,  4.]  ACTS  XXVIII.  407 

3  and  because  of  the  cold.  But  when  Paul  had  gathered 
a  bundle  of  sticks,  and  laid  them  on  the  fire,  a  viper 
came  out  ^by  reason  of  the  heat,  and  fastened  on  his 

4  hand.  And  when  the  barbarians  saw  the  beast  hang- 
ing from  his  hand,  they  said  one  to  another,  Xo  doubt 
this  man  is  a  murderer,  whom,  though  he  hath  escaped 
from  the  sea,  yet  Justice  hath  not   suffered  to  live. 

1  Or,  from  the  heat. 

island.  It  might  indeed  be  replied  that  a  fire  could  have  been  made 
of  driftwood  from -wrecks.  The  'bundle  of  sticks,'  however,  in  the 
next  verse  points  to  the  presence  of  brushAvood.  The  true  answer  is 
that  it  is  only  in  very  modern  times  that  the  natural  wood  has  been 
destroyed.  Persons  were  recently  living  who  remembei-ed  the  growth 
of  natural  wood  near  St.  Paul's  Bay. — Because  of  the  present 
rain,  and  because  of  the  cold.  These  particulars  could  hardly 
have  been  introduced  so  naturally,  except  by  one  who  had  been  pre- 
sent on  the  occasion.  The  '  cold '  of  a  north-easterly  wind  at  this 
season  must  have  been  extreme ;  but  even  if  the  wind  had  changed 
with  the  coming  on  of  the  rain,  we  must  remember  that  these  ship- 
wrecked people  had  passed  through  the  waves  in  escaping  to  the  land. 

Ver.  3.  Had  gathered  a  bundle  of  sticks.  The  Apostle  here 
helped  with  his  own  hands  to  improve  the  fire,  as  before  (27:  19)  in 
the  storm  he  helped  to  lighten  the  ship. — A  viper  came  out,  etc. 
There  are  no  poisonous  serpents  now  in  Malta  ;  but  with  the  increase 
of  population  and  the  clearing  away  of  wood,  noxious  reptiles  have 
disappeared.  [Mr.  Lewin  recently  states  that  he  saw  a  snake  on  the 
island,  which  looked  very  much  like  a  viper.]  Mr.  Smith  adduces  a 
similar  experience  of  recent  date,  in  the  island  of  Arran.  The  ten- 
dency of  the  increase  of  population  is  always  to  destroy  serpents  and 
wild  animals.  The  animal  came  through  the  bundle  of  sticks  in  con- 
sequence of  being  awakened  into  activity  from  a  torpid  state  by  the 
heat. — Fastened  on  his  hand.  The  impression  given  by  these 
words  is,  that  Paul  was  bitten  by  the  viper;  and  this,  no  doubt,  is  the 
true  impression. 

Ver.  4.  This  man  is  a  murderer.  They  would  readily  perceive 
that  Paul  was  one  of  the  prisoners,  and  naturally  suspect  that  his  crime 
was  no  light  one.  It  is  not  likely  that  he  had  been  chained  to  a  sol- 
dier, when  the  people  from  the  ship  were  struggling  through  the 
waves  ;  but  the  manacle  might  be  on  his  wrist,  and  he  might  be  chained 
again  to  a  soldier  on  gaining  the  land. — Justice  hath  not  suffered 
to  live.  The  ancients  personified  retributive  justice  under  the  name 
of  Nemesis.  The  moral  sense  of  these  untutored  people  led  them  to 
the  conclusion  that  Paul  was  being  punished  for  his  crime.  Mr, 
Humphry  adduces  here  an  interesting  Greek  epigram,  the  substance 
of  which  is  this,  that  a  man  shipwrecked  on  the  coast  of  Libya,  and 


408  -  ACTS  XXVIII.  [28:  5-8. 

5  Howbeit  he  shook  off  the  beast  into  the  fire,  and  took 

6  no  harm.  But  tliey  expected  that  he  would  have 
swollen,  or  fallen  down  dead  suddenly  :  but  when 
they  were  long  in  expectation,  and  beheld  nothing 
amiss  come  to  him,  they  changed  their  minds,  and 
said  that  he  was  a  god. 

7  Now  in  the  neighbourhood  of  that  place  were  lands 
belonging  to  the  chief  man  of  the  island,  named  Pub- 
lius ;  who  received  us,  and  entertained  us  three  days 

8  courteously.  And  it  was  so,  that  the  father  of  Pub- 
lius  lay  sick  of  fever  and  dysentery:  unto  whom 
Paul  entered  in,  and  prayed,  and  laying  his  hands  on 

killed  while  asleep  by  a  serpent,  had  struggled  in  vain  against  the 
waves,  finding  here  on  land  the  fate  that  was  his  due. 

Ver  6.  Swollen,  or  fallen  down  dead.  Either  of  these  re- 
sults might  have  followed  from  the  poisonous  bite.  The  former  word, 
however,  denotes  inflammation  rather  than  swelling. — Changed 
their  minds,  etc.  Paul  had  a  similar  experience  among  the  Lyca- 
onians,  though  in  an  opposite  direction  (14  :  18,  19). 

Ver.  7.  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  ti-aditional  place  is  Citta 
Vecchia,  where  is  the  country  residence  of  the  present  British 
governor. — The  chief  man  of  the  island,  named  Publius.  The 
name  is  Latin,  and  doubtless  he  was  a  Roman  or  an  Italian.  The  title 
given  to  him  (rw  ttjjcjto}  rfjQ  vijaov)  is  peculiar,  and  corresponds  precisely 
with  the  title  (^rrpuro^  'KeAiraiuv  and  Primus  Militensium)  which  has  been 
found  on  ancient  Maltese  inscriptions.  The  meaning  can  hardly  be 
that  Publius  was  the  wealthiest  man  on  the  island,  for  his  father  was 
still  living.  The  natural  view  is  that  he  was  the  Roman  governor. 
Melita  was  a  political  dependency  of  Sicily,  and  the  praetor  of  this 
larger  island  would  have  a  deputy  in  the  smaller.  Hackett,  however, 
in  his  second  edition  (p.  449),  quotes  an  interesting  note  by  President 
Woolsey,  of  Yale  College,  in  which  it  is  shown  from  inscriptions  that 
those  who  had  ceased  to  be  the  chief  magistrates  of  the  is- 
land might  still  retain  the  title  chief  man  (Trpwroc).  Hackett 
justly  remarks  that,  if  this  is  the  correct  view,  it  really  enhances  the 
narrator's  accuracy,  '  inasmuch  as  the  range  of  the  application  of  the 
term  is  narrower.' — Entertained  us  three  days  courteously. 
No  doubt  the  centurion  and  his  prisoners.  It  was  natural  that  Publius 
should  pay  especial  attention  to  Julius  and  his  party. 

Ver  8.  Lay  sick  of  a  fever  and  dysentery.  We  meet  here 
with  another  of  the  fantastic  objections  which  have  been  brought  againt 
the  identification  of  Melita.  It  has  been  contended  that  dysentery  is 
never  found  in  Malta.     It  might  be  enough  to  reply  that  changes  iu 


28 !  9, 10.]  ACTS  XXVIII.  409 

9  him  healed  him.     And  when  this  was  done,  the  rest 

also  which  had  diseases  in  the  island  came,  and  were 

10  cured:  who  also  honom^ed  us  with  many  honours;  and 

when  we  sailed,  they  put  on  board  such  things  as  we 

needed. 

the  natural  condition  of  a  country  involve  changes  in  regard  to  human 
health  :  but  it  happens  that  the  writer  of  the  present  note  has  been 
beside  the  bedside  of  a  friend  suffering  from  dysentery  in  Malta.  The 
"word  fever,  which  in  the  original  is  in  the  plural  {'nvpeolg),  is  an  in- 
stance of  the  accuracy  of  Luke's  professional  language.  The  fever  fits 
of  Publius  were  intermittent. — Entered  in,  and  prayed.  He  fol- 
lowed the  same  course  as  Peter  in  the  case  of  Tabitha  (Acts  9  :  48).  The 
miraculous  power  was  granted  to  the  Apostles  on  occasion  ;  and  here 
we  see  it  exercised  in  conjunction  with  prayer,  in  virtue  of  that  faith 
which  removes  mountains. — Laying  his  hands  on  him  healed  him. 
A  second  instance  of  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  of  Mark  16  :  18. 

Ver.  10.  Honoured  us  with  many  honors.  In  Tim.  5  :  3, 17, 
the  word  honor  denotes  the  material  support  of  religious  ministers ; 
and  whatever  else  may  be  included,  we  need  not  exclude  that  meaning 
here.  Paul  did  not  refuse  elsewhere  to  accept  gifts. — Such  things 
as  we  needed.  Gifts  for  the  wants  of  the  voyage  were  lavishly 
pressed  upon  them.  On  the  previous  voyage  they  suffered  many  hard- 
ships and  losses. 

*  Practical  Notes.  The  common  instincts  of  nature  are  often  better  than  the 
nroctice  of  nominal  Christians  (ver.  2).  The  natives  of  Malta  showed  great  kindness 
to  the  shipwrecked  crew,  while  on  the  coasts  of  Christian  lands  there  have  been  pro- 
fessional wreckers,  alluring  unwary  vessels  by  false  signals  and  then  destroying 
them.— Underneath  that  which  ministers  to  our  comfort  may  lurk  a  deadly  influence 
(ver.  3).  Satan  is  often  very  cb  se  to  the  church  door  and  dire  temptations  some- 
times insinuate  thems='lve8  in  the  train  of  proper  pleasures.— The  natural  man  also 
has  a  c  uviction  that  sin  deserves  punishment  (ver.  5).  Men  usually  have  a  fear  of 
divine  justice,  and  if  it  does  not  show  itself  in  the  day  of  prosperity,  it  will  in  the 
terrible  moments  of  shipwreck  or  other  awful  dangers.  The  peoj)le  of  Malta,  felt 
Paul  tn  be  a  murderer  whom  the  gods  were  punishing  with  the  bite  of  the  viper. — 
All  suffering  is  not  punishment.  Job  had  not  sinned  above  his  friends,  but  was 
rather  more  righteous  than  they.  Yet  he  suffered  the  loss  of  flocks,  the  death  of  hia 
children  and  a  loathsome  disease.  Job  was,  however,  righteous  and  sinned  not,  and  re- 
ceived a  rich  blessing  at  the  last.— Evils  should  be  quick  ly  put  far  away  (ver.  5).  Tempta- 
tions and  evil  thoughts  should  be  shaken  ofiF,  not  nursed  and  trifled  with. — A  right- 
eous man  is  a  great  blessing  to  a  place  (vers.  7-10).  By  his  influence  and  prayers,  if  he 
cannot  accomplish  miracles  like  Paul,  he  may  reform  manners  and  inspire  hopes  of 
an  eternal  life. 


410  ACTS  XXVIII.  [28 :  11-13. 

Chapter  28 :  11-15. 
Voyage  from  Malta  to  Rome, 

11  And  after  three  months  we  set  sail  in  a  ship  of 
Alexandria,  which  had  wintered  in  the  island,  whose 

12  sign   was   ^The   Twin    Brothers.     And   touching   at 

13  Syracuse,  we  tarried   there   three   days.     And   from 
thence  we  ^made  a  circuit,  and  arrived  at  Rhegium : 

1  Gr.  Dioscuri. 
2  Some  ancient  authorities  read  cast  loose. 

Voyage  from  3falta  to  Rome,  vers.  11-15. 

Ver.  11.  After  three  months.  Probably  it  was  now  February. 
The  earliest  opportunity  which  the  weather  permitted  would  be  taken. 
This  is  one  of  the  indications  of  time  which  are  to  be  taken  into  ac- 
count in  estimating  the  relative  chronology  of  Paul's  life. — Whose 
sign  was  The  Twin  Brothers.  These  brothers,  Castor  and  Pollux 
(the  'Dioscuri,'  is  the  Greek  word),  were  the  tiitelary  godsof  Greek  sailors 
(Horace,  Od.  1  :  3,  2,  and  12,  28),  and  their  presence  was  often  im- 
agined in  the  phosphorescent  light — the  fires  of  St.  Elmo — playing  on 
the  masts  of  Mediterranean  ships.  Their  figures  were  doubtless  painted 
in  the  customary  conventional  form,  with  stars  above  their  heads,  on 
each  side  of  the  ship.  Luke's  notice  of  the  fact  is  valuable  as  an  indi- 
cation of  the  presence  of  an  eye-witness.  The  thought,  too,  of  an 
Egyptian  ship,  with  heathen  symbols,  bearing  the  Gospel  to  Italy,  is  sug- 
gestive of  many  interesting  reflections.  *In  ancient  mythology  Cas- 
tor and  Pollux  were  the  sons  of  Zeus  (Jupiter)  and  Leda.  They  were 
ideals  of  motherly  devotion,  and  their  father  was  said  to  have  placed 
them  as  a  reward  for  it  among  the  stars  as  the  Gemini.  Poseidon,  the 
god  of  the  Idas,  is  said  to  have  given  them  power  over  the  waves. 

Ver.  12.  Syracuse.  This  was  in  their  direct  course.  The  dis- 
tance is  about  eighty  miles  to  the  north  of  Malta,  and  the  city  was  the 
principal  place  on  the  island  of  Sicily. — Three  days.  Probably  wait- 
ing for  a  favorable  wind. 

Ver.  13.  -^"We  made  a  circuit.  A  good  change  from  the  Author. 
Version,  '  We  fetched  a  compass.' — Rhegium.  A  town  on  the  Italian 
side  of  the  Straits  of  Messina,  nearly  opposite  to  Messina  on  the  Sici- 
lian side.  It  is  a  curious  coincidence  that  the  ancient  coins  of  Khe- 
gium  exhibit  Castor  and  Pollux  as  twin  brothers,  with  stars  above  their 
heads. — A  south  wind  sprang  up.  The  most  favorable  wind  for 
carrying  the  vessel  through  the  Faro ;  and  if  she  was  rigged  with  a 
great  square  sail  she  would  go  very  rapidly  before  it. — Puteoli. 
[Near  Naples,  where  he  could  see  to  advantage  the  volcano  of  Vesu- 
vius, as  he  could  before  see  Mount  ^Etna  from  the  Straits  of  Messina]. 
The  distance  fi-om  Rhegium  was  about   180  miles  ;  and  if  the  ahip 


28:14,15.]  ACTS  XXVIII.  411 

and  after  one  day  a  south  wind  sprang  up,  and  on 

14  the  second  day  we  came  to  Puteoli :  where  we  found 
brethren,  and  were  intreated  to  tarry  with  them  seven 

15  days:  and  so  we  came  to  Rome.  And  from  thence 
the  brethren,  when  they  heard  of  us,  came  to  meet  us 
as  far  as  The  Market  of  Appius,  and  The  Three 
Taverns :  whom  when  Paul  saw,  he  thanked  God,  and 
took  courage. 

sailed  seven  knots,  she  would  have  accomplished  the  voyage  in  twenty- 
six  hours.  Puteoli  (the  modern  Pozzuoli),  was,  next  after  Ostia,  the 
most  important  harbor  of  Western  Italy  ;  and  was  the  customary  port 
for  the  Alexandrian  grain  ships.  Seventeen  piers  still  survive  of  the 
mole  upon  which  Paul's  foot  was  set.  In  fact,  the  most  perfect  ruin 
existing  of  any  ancient  Roman  harbor  is  that  which  is  for  ever  con- 
nected with  the  memory  of  Paul's  arrival  in  Italy. 

Ver.  14.  "We  found  brethren.  We  know  from  Rom.  16,  and 
i  ideed  from  the  mere  existence  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  that  the 
Christian  brethren  were  at  this  time  numerous  in  the  metropolis. 
Hence  there  must  have  been  Christians  at  Puteoli,  which  was  the  place 
of  communication  by  sea  with  Palestine.  ■^  This  is  an  interesting 
notice  as  showing  the  extent  to  which  Christianity  had  spread.  It  is 
the  only  notice  in  the  New  Testament  of  a  congregation  outside  of 
Rome. — With  them  seven  days,  ^\e  seem  here  to  have  a  clear 
indication  that  Paul  tarried  to  spend  the  Lord's  day  with  them,  as  in 
20  :  6,  7  at  Troas,  and  in  21 :  4  at  Tyre.  As  to  the  permission  given 
by  Julius  to  spend  a  week  at  Puteoli,  this  need  cause  us  no  difl&culty. 
At  the  close  of  the  voyage,  after  owing  his  life  to  Paul,  it  is  not  likely 
that  he  would  be  less  considerate  and  kind  than  at  the  beginning 
(27  :  3). — We  came  to  Rome.  From  this  bare  statement  of  the 
fact  of  their  arrival  at  the  end  of  their  journey,  Luke  turns  aside  in 
the  next  sentence  to  mention  circumstances  connected  with  their  route 
from  Puteoli.  This  route  was  first  by  a  road  called  the  Consular  Way, 
which  led  to  Capua,  and  then  along  the  celebrated  Appian  Way. 

Ver.  15.  "When  they  heard  of  us.  During  the  week  spent  at 
Puteoli  there  would  be  abundant  time  for  the  intelligence  to  travel  to 
Rome.  —Came  to  meet  us  as  far  as  The  Market  of  Appius,  and 
The  Three  Taverns,  They  were  in  two  separate  groups,  the  one  in 
advance  of  the  other.  Among  them  were  possibly  Aquila  and  Pris- 
cilla,  and  others  named  in  the  sixteenth  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Romans.  The  two  places  are  well  known  to  us  through  the  writings 
of  Horace  and  Cicero,  and  the  Itineraries.  Three  Taverns  was  thirty- 
three  miles  from  Rome,  and  Appii  Forum  ten  miles  farther,  on  the  low 
ground  termed  the  Pomptine  Marshes. — He  thanked  God,  and 
took  courage.  We  mark  here  two  most  distinctive  characteristics 
of  Paul — the  consciousness  of  help  derived  from  the  presence  of  his 


412  ACTS  XXVIIT.  [28:  16. 

Chapter  28:  16-22. 

PauVs  Interview  with  the  Jews. 

16      And  when  we  entered  into  Rome,  ^  Paul  was  suffered 
to  abide  by  himself  with  the  soldier  that  guarded  him. 

1  Some  ancient  authorities  insert  ihe  centurion  delivered  the  prisoners  to  the  captain  of 
the  prsetorian  guard :  but 

friends,  and  the  gratitude  which  such  services  inspired  in  him- 
*Bengers  sententious  remark  is  good.  Paul  saw  that  Christ  was  at 
Rome  already.  He  felt  encouraged  at  the  thought  that  Rome,  too,  was 
susceptible  to  the  influences  and  power  of  the  Gospel. 

*  Practical  Notes.— A  Christian  may  use  all  things  that  are  not  wrong  in  them- 
selves and  will  further  the  purpose  of  the  Gospel.  The  vessel  that  conveyed  Paul  the 
prisiiuer  from  Malta  bore  the  sign  of  two  heathen  divinities,  Castor  and  Pollux. 
Yet  that  did  not  imperil  Paul's  life,  for  his  trust  was  in  God.—"  A  little  kindness  may 
do  much  ti  encourage  or  strengthen  a  gciod  man  (ver.  14).  It  was  cer  ainly  worth 
tlie  forty  miles  journey  which  these  brethren  took  to  be  the  means  of  cheer 
irig  the  venerable  Api  stle  "  (Wm.  M.  Taylor).— A  Christian  in  looking  over  the  past 
slioiild  thank  God  for  mercies,  and  looking  forward  to  the  future  have  courage 
(ver.  l-i).  Repining  will  do  no  good  and  fear  never  won  a  battle.  He  who  has 
hnlped  will  help,  for  He  is  able.  It  is  well  also  to  think  upon  our  ways  as  saith  the 
Ps^ihnist,  that  we  may  turn  our  feet  unto  the  divine  testimonies  (Ps.  119:  59).  The 
text  is  an  excellent  one  for  a  New  Year's  motto. 

FauVs  Intervieio  with  the  Jews,  vers.  16-22. 

Ver.  16.  ^When  we  entered  into  Rome.  The  great  center 
of  population  and  power,  whose  armies  had  conquered  the  world,  and 
whose  name  was  and  continued  to  be,  for  several  centuries  longer,  a 
bulwark  of  power.  As  Athens  was  the  synonym  of  learning  and  cul- 
ture, so  Rome  was  the  synonym  of  power.  In  his  Epistle  to  the 
Romans  (1 :  16),  with  evident  reference  to  this,  he  pronounces  the  Gos- 
pel the  poiver  of  God  unto  salvation,  as  when  he  writes  to  the  Corinth- 
ians (1  Cor.  1 :  24),  he  calls  it  the  "  wisdom  of  God."  This  was  the 
city  Taul  had  been  eager  for  so  long  to  see  (Rom.  1  :  10),  and  the  expec- 
tation of  which  probably  helped  to  buoy  him  up  during  his  confine- 
ment in  Palestine  (Acts  19:  21,  etc.)— Was  suffered  to  abide  by 
himself.  In  the  case  of  state  prisoners  sent  to  Rome  from  the  pro- 
vinces for  trial,  it  was  usual  to  confine  them  in  a  prison  adjoining  the 
PrfBtorinn  camp,  which  was  north-east  of  the  city,  outside  the  Porta 
Viminalis  ;  but  sometimes  the  prisoners  were  suffered  to  choose  their 
own  residence  under  the  custody  of  a  soldier.  '  Tradition  points  to  the 
vestibule  of  the  Church  of  Santa  Maria,  at  the  junction  of  the  Via 
Lata  and  the  Corso,  as  the  site  of  his  dwelling ;  but  it  has  been  urged 
by  Dr.  Philip,  at  present  working  as  a  missionary  in  the  Ghetto  at 
Rome,  in  a  pamphlet  On  the  Ghetto  (Rome,  1874),  that  this  site,  form- 


28:  17,  18.]  ACTS  XXVIII.  413 

17  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  after  three  days  he  called 
together  4hose  that  Avere  the  chief  of  the  Jews  :  and 
when  they  Avere  come  together,  he  said  unto  them, 
I,  brethren,  though  I  had  done  nothing  against  the 
people,  or  the  customs  of  our  fathers,  yet  AA^as  de- 
livered  prisoner  from  Jerusalem    into   the  hands   of 

18  the  Romans :  who,  Avhen  they  had  examined  me,  de- 

1  Or,  those  that  were  of  the  Jews  first. 

ing  part  of  the  old  Flaminian  Way,  was  then  occupied  by  arches  and 
public  buildings,  and  that  it  was  far  more  probable  that  he  would  fix 
his  quarters  near  those  of  his  own  countrymen.  He  adds  that  a  local 
tradition  points  to  Xo.  2  in  the  Via  Stringhari,  just  outside  the  modern 
Ghetto,  as  having  been  Paul's  dwelling-place'  (Plumptre). — "With 
the  soldier  that  guarded  him.  To  this  gaoler  Paul  was  fastened 
by  a  chain,  to  which  he  refers  in  ver.  20,  and  again  in  his  Epistles, 
written  during  this  impi-isonment  (Eph.  vi.  20  ;  Phil.  i.  7,  13,  16  ; 
Col.  iv.  18).  The  soldier  thus  chained  to  him  was  relieved  at  stated 
intervals. 

Ver.  17.  The  Chief  of  the  Jews.  The  Jewish  colony  in  Rome 
was  a  large  one ;  they  dwelt  in  one  quarter  of  the  city,  the  Trastevere, 
or  district  beyond  the  river  Tiber.  AA^hen  a  petition  was  sent  from 
Jerusalem  to  the  emperor  against  Archelaus,  son  of  Herod  the  Great, 
Josephus  tells  us  8000  Jews  resident  in  Rome  supported  it.  This  Jew- 
ish community  '  had  its  first  beginning  in  the  captives  brought  by  Pom- 
pey  after  his  eastern  campaign.  Many  of  them  were  manumitted  ; 
and  thus  a  great  proportion  were  freedmen.  Many  of  them  were 
wealthy,  and  large  sums  were  sent  annuallj^  for  religious  purposes  from 
Italy  to  the  mother  country'  (Howson,  St.  Paul).  They  had  been 
banished  by  a  decree  of  Claudius,  a.  d.  49 ;  but  this  decree  was  after- 
ward rescinded  or  allowed  to  lapse.  Probably  this  favor  had  been 
procured  through  the  influence  of  Poppaea,  a  proselyte  to  Judaism,  at 
this  time  all-powerful  with  the  Emperor  Nero.  The  chiefs  of  the  Jews 
here  alluded  to  included  the  rulers  and  elders,  of  the  synagogues 
and  heads  of  the  principal  Jewish  families  settled  in  Rome,  with  the 
.scribes  and  probably  the  wealthier  traders. — I,  brethren,  though  I 
had  done  nothing  against  the  people,  etc.  Here  in  Rome,  as 
had  been  his  usual  custom,  Paul  begins  his  work  among  his  own  loved 
race.  Damaging  reports  had,  no  doubt,  preceded  Paul  to  Rome,  or 
some  of  the  Roman  Jews  on  their  visits  to  Jerusalem  for  the  feasts  had 
heard  all  about  Paul's  tiial. 

Ver.  18.  Desired  to  set  me  at  liberty.  Felix  fchap.  24  :  25), 
Festus  and  Agrippa  (chap.  2G  :  32),  but  especially  the  last  two,  the 
Roman  governor  and  the  Jewish  king,  who  so  unwillingly  had  sent  him 
to  Rome  to  be  judged  before  the  imperial  tribunal. 


414  ACTS  XXVIII.  [28 :  19-22. 

sired  to  set  me  at  liberty,  because  there  was  no  cause 

19  of  deatli  in  me.  But  when  the  Jews  spake  against  it, 
I  was  constrained  to  appeal  unto  Caesar ;    not  that  I 

20  had  aught  to  accuse  my  nation  of.  For  this  cause 
therefore  did  I  Mntreat  you  to  see  and  to  speak  with 
me:  for  because  of  the  hope  of  Israel  I  am  bound  with 

21  this  chain.  And  they  said  unto  him,  We  neither  re- 
ceived letters  from  Judaea  concerning  thee,  nor  did  any 
of  the  brethren  come  hither  and  report  or  speak  any 

22  harm  of  thee.     But  we  desire  to  hear  of  thee  what 

1  Or,  call  for  you,  to  see  and  to  speak  with  you. 

Ver.  19.     I  was  constrained  to  appeal    unto   Caesar.     To 

get  justice  and  escape  the  unfair  treatment  of  the  Jewish  persecutors. 
— Not  that  I  had  aught  to  accuse  my  nation  of.  He 
was  most  anxious  to  show  them  he  was  there  not  as  an  accuser  of,  or 
an  enemy  to,  '  the  people ' — the  Jewish  race.  It  was  to  do  them  no 
harm  that  he  had  appealed  to  the  Cajsar  at  Eome.  We  must  bear  in 
mind  that  here,  as  in  the  other  reports  of  Paul's  sei'mons  and  speeches, 
we  only  possess  the  outline  of  the  original. — Because  of  the  hope 
of  Israel  I  am  bound,  etc.  The  glorious  hope,  for  which  he  was 
suffering  all  these  indignities,  was  the  Messiah,  for  whom  Israel  had 
been  so  long  anxiously  waiting,  and  the  resurrection.  It  was  his  un- 
swerving belief  in  Jesus  as  the  INIessiah,  which  was  the  cause  of  all  his 
suffering,  including  the  chain  then  hanging  upon  his  arm, 

Ver,  21.  They  said  unto  him,  etc.  This  reply  was  more 
courteous  than  honest.  It  was  probably  the  fact  that  no  ojHcial  com- 
munication from  the  Sanhedrin  had  as  yet  been  received  by  the  Roman 
synagogue ;  for  during  the  two  years  of  the  Ctesarean  imprisonment 
there  was  no  need  for  it  to  write  to  the  Jews  at  Rome  respecting  Paul, 
and  after  his  appeal  to  the  emperor  there  had  been  no  time  to  send  in- 
formation to  Rome  concerning  him.  Paul  would  have  arrived  at  the 
metropolis  before  any  o^'c?V/Z  tidings  from  Jerusalem  could  have  reached 
the  Roman  Jews.  We  know  he  left  Ctesarea  soon  after  his  appeal ;  and 
shortly  after  his  departure,  the  sea — owing  to  the  time  of  the  year — 
was  closed  for  navigation.  The  result  of  the  earnest  pleading  of  the 
Apostle,  told  in  thewords  of  ver.  24,  'and  some  disbelieved,'  coupled 
with  his  evident  mournful  disappointment  at  his  complete  failure  to 
convince  his  Jewish  audience,  points  to  the  conclusion  we  have  arrived 
at,  that  this  courteous  reply  was  hollow  and  false. 

Ver.  22.  We  desire  to  hear  of  thee  what  thou  thinkest. 
The  leading  Jews  of  Rome  who  accepted  Paul's  invitation  were  natur- 
ally anxious  to  hear  what  a  leader  of  the  strange  sect  would  have  to 
say  on  behalf  of  the  faith  of  Christ.     They  knew,  doubtless,  at  least 


28 :  23,  24.]  ACTS  XXVIII.  415 

thou  thinkest :  for  as  concerning  this  sect,  it  is  known 
to  us  that  everywhere  it  is  spoken  against. 

Chapter  28:  23-28. 
A  second  Interview  with  the  Jews. 

23  And  when  they  had  appointed  him  a  day,  they  came 
to  him  into  his  lodging  in  great  number;  to  Avhom  ho 
expounded  the  matter,  testifying  the  kingdom  of  God, 
and  persuading  them  concerning  Jesus,  both  from  the 
law  of  Moses  and  from  the  prophets,  from  morning 

24  till   evening.     And  some  believed  the   things  which 

the  outlines  of  the  famous  missionary's  story.  Already  men  had  be- 
gun to  whisper  abroad  the  dark  calumnies  of  cruel  and  immoral  prac- 
tices, which  we  know  were  universally  circulated  through  the  Roman 
world  concerning  the  innocent  Christians,  For  instance,  the  Roman 
historian  Tacitus,  who  wrote  in  the  days  of  Xero,  who  was  then 
emperor,  speaks  of  the  Christian  religion  as  '  a  detestable  superstition,' 
and  calls  attention  to  '  the  atrocious  and  shameful  crimes  condemned 
by  the  hatred  of  mankind.'  Suetonius,  writing  in  the  same  reign,  de- 
scribes the  followers  of  Jesus  of  Xazareth  as  '  a  race  of  men  holding 
a  novel  and  criminal  superstition.' 

A  Second  Interview  with  the  Jews,  vers.  23-28 

Ver.  23.  They  cme  to  him  into  his  lodging  in  great 
number.  The  word  in  the  original  is  a  comparative  form,  and  im- 
plies either  that  more  of  the  Roman  Jews  came  to  hear  Paul  than  on 
the  first  occasion,  or  else  that  more  presented  themselves  than  had  been 
expected  by  the  Apostle.  —  He  expounded  the  matter.  The 
general  subject  of  the  Christian  religion,  about  which  the  chief  men 
of  the  Jews  had  asked  for  explanations  (v.  22). — Persuading  them 
concerning  Jesus.  Even  the  short  resume  of  the  discourse  which 
the  compiler  of  the  Acts  has  given  on  several  momentous  occasions  in 
the  history  is  wanting  here.  The  majority  of  the  listeners  seem  to 
have  remained  unconvinced.  From  that  hour  it  is  probable  that  Paul 
for  the  remainder  of  hi«  life  gave  up  the  hope  of  touching  the  heart 
of  Israel  as  a  people,  and  devoted  his  few  remaining  years  to  winning 
the  Gentiles. 

Ver.  24.  Some  believed  the  things  which  -were  spoker. 
The  number  of  those  who  rejected  the  salvation  of  the  Messiah  evidently 
exceeded  the  number  who  were  convinced.  The  melancholy  tone  of 
the  words,  with  which  the  Apostle  closed  the  memorable  day  of  argu- 
ment and  exhortation,  show  that  his  patience  was  at  last  exhausted. 
They  are  the  words  of  one  giving  up  a  hopeless  struggle. 


41G  ACTS  XXVIII.  [28:  25-27. 

25  were  spoken,  and  some  disbelieved.  And  when  they 
agreed  not  among  themselves,  they  departed,  after  that 
Paul  had  spoken  one  word,  Well  spake  the  Holy  Ghost 

26  ^by  Isaiah  the  prophet  unto  your  fathers,  saying, 

Go  thou  unto  this  people,  and  say, 

By  hearing  ye  shall  hear,  and  shall  in  no  wise  un- 
derstand ; 

And  seeing  ye  shall  see,  and  shall  in  no  wise  per- 
ceive : 

27  For  this  people's  heart  is  Avaxed  gross. 
And  their  ears  are  dull  of  hearing, 

1  Or,  through. 

Ver.  25.  They  agreed  not  among  themselves.  Evidently 
the  assembled  Jews  openly  expressed  their  diflFerence  of  opinion. — 
After  that  Paul  had  spoken  one  word.  'One  final  significant 
word,  as  opposed  to  many  words'  (Hackett).  The  prophecy  here 
quoted  is  from  Isa.  6 :  9,  10,  and  agrees  almost  exactly  with  the  Avords 
of  the  Septuagint  (Greek)  translation.  No  passage  is  quoted  so  often 
in  the  New  Testament  as  this.  It  occurs  six  times  (Matt.  13:  14; 
Mark  4:  12;  Luke  8 :  10;  John  12:  4'3 ;  Rom.  11:  25).  *A  melan- 
choly interest  attaches  to  these  words  as  being  the  last  which  Paul 
spoke  to  his  fellow-countrymen  so  far  as  the  record  is  concerned.  They 
express  an  historical  fact  which  Christ  often  uttered.  The  Jews,  as  a 
nation,  rejected  their  Messiah,  and  still  do,  the  veil  being  still  before 
their  eyes.  Individual  Jews  have,  indeed,  accepted  Chrii^tianity  in  all 
ages,  and  held  positions  of  high  influence  in  the  Church,  (Abp.  of 
Burgos,  Paul  of  St.  Maria,  d.  1435)  been  distinguished  as  commenta- 
tors, (Nicolas  of  Lyra,  d.  1340)  and  eminent  as  historians  (Neander). 
It  is  a  strange  phenomenon  that  a  nation  should  reject  the  very  one  of 
its  number,  whom  the  world  at  large  places  at  the  very  summit  of 
humanity  and  from  whom  it  derives  its  noblest  motives  and  ideals  of 
life. 

Ver.  26.  ^Hearing  ye  shall  hear,  and  shall  in  no  wise  un- 
derstand. These  and  the  following  words  indicate  that  the  failure 
of  the  Jews  to  believe  in  Christ  was  due  to  a  resolution  not  to  see.  The 
evidence  was  given  to  them.  Christ  called  them  and  would  have 
gathered  them  to  himself,  but  '  they  would  not.'  So  Paul  had  every- 
where preached  to  them,  but  they  put  aside  his  message.  The  terrible 
prediction  was  first  fulfilled  to  the  letter  in  the  prophet's  own  days. 
After  his  time,  calamity  following  on  calamity,  years  of  ruin  and  cap- 
tivity, all  failed  to  touch  the  hearts  of  the  stubborn  and  rebellious 
people.  It  therefore  received  another  and  final  fulfilment  in  the  im- 
penitence of  the  people,  and  in  their  determined  rejection  of  the  love 
and  mercy  of  their  Messiah. 


28:  28.]  ACTS  XXVIIL  417 

And  their  eyes  they  have  closed; 
Lest  haply  they  should  perceive  with  their  eyes, 
And  hear  with  their  ears, 
And  understand  with  their  heart, 
And  should  turn  again. 
And  I  should  heal  them. 
28  Be  it  known  therefore  unto  you,  that  this  salvation  of 
God  is  sent  unto  the  Gentiles :  they  will  also  hear/ 

^  Some  ancient  authorities  insert  verse  29  And  when  he  had  said  these  words,  the  Jews  de- 
parted, Iiaving  much  disputing  among  themselves. 

Ver.  28.  *  This  salvation  of  God  is  sent  unto  the  Gen- 
tiles. We  think  here  of  the  course  Paul  and  Barnabas  had  pursu^-d 
at  Antioch  in  Pisidia  twenty  years  before,  when  they  '  turned  unto 
the  Gentiles  '  (Acts  13  :  46),  and  Paul's  course  at  Corinth  (Acts  18  :  Cj. 
And  indeed  the  Gospel  has  proved  the  message  and  power  of  God  unto 
the  Gentiles  from  Antioch  in  Syria  to  the  islands  of  the  Pacific.  It 
has  leavened  the  nations,  and  in  the  present  century  has  transformed 
whole  peoples  from  the  rudest  barbarism  to  comparative  civilization, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  Fijians  and  others.  It  is  still  being  carried  to 
the  Gentiles,  and  the  millions  of  India,  China  and,  Japan  will  hear 
the  promises  of  salvation  and  read  Paul's  words  at  Rome,  and  glory 
in  the  cross  which,  once  a  stumbling-bl«ik  to  the  Jews,  will  be  significant 
to  them  of  redemption  from  the  darkness  and  guilt  of  sin,  and  trans- 
lation into  the  kingdom  of  God.  Verse  29  not  being  found  in  the  best 
MSS.  is  properly  omitted  from  the  English  text. 

*  Practical  Notes. — Personal  affronts  should  not  deflect  us  from  the  course  of 
duty.  Paul  harbored  no  harsh  sentimentsagainst  the  Jews,  even  though  they  had  i)erse- 
cuted  him  relentlessly.  His  first  care  on  arriving  at  Rome  was  to  preach  to  the  Jews. 
This  course  was  in  accordance  with  his  life-long  method  to  give  them  the  precedence. 
The  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  '  to  the  Jew  first,  and  also  to  the  Greek,'  as  Paul 
had  before  written  to  the  Romans  (Rom.  1 :  IG).— Even  afflictions  and  our  dispoint- 
ments  may  work  out  for  the  advancement  of  the  Truth.  Gtod's  ways  are  not  our  ways. 
PauFs  shipwreck  and  bonds  in  Rome  fell  out  for  the  progress  of  the  Gospel,  as  lie 
writes  to  the  Philippians  (I'hil.  1 :  12-14).  To  him  an  efi'ectual  door  was  there  ope'ied. 
Though  he  had  not  full  liberty,  yet  he  did  what  he  could,  and  amongst  others  some 
of  Cajsar's  household  were  converted  (Phil.  4:  22).— A  chain  and  hope  sometimes  have 
close  relations.  So  Paul  was  bound  with  a  chain  for  the  hopeof  Israel  (v-r.  20).  This 
hope  had  been  the  ground  of  his  condemnation.  But  Christians  are  •prisoners  of 
hope  '  (Zech.  9  :  12)  and  look  out  as  it  were,  from  the  restraints  of  this  life  unto  the 
manifestation  and  glory  of  the  sons  of  God.  Many  a  good  hope  and  goal  demands 
that  we  should  be  willing  for  a  time  to  practise  restraints  (economy,  hard  work,  etc) 
and  be  bound  as  with  a  chain.— Bonds  may  not  cramp  the  heart  of  the  Christian.  It 
was  from  Rome  that  Paul  wrote  to  tlie  PJiilippians  his  hearty  Epistle  and  exhorts 
them  to  'rejoice  in  the  Lord,  yea,  to  rejoice  ahcny''  (Phil.  3:  1:4:  4). — Preach- 
ing is  met  by  faith  and  unbelief  (ver.  24).  The  seed  must  be  sown,  on  all  kinds  of 
27 


418  ACTS  XXVIII.  [28 :  30,  31. 

Chapter  28  :  30,  31. 
PauVs  Captivity  at   Home. 

30  And  he  abode  two  whole  years  in  his  own  hired 
dwelling,   and   received  all  that  went   in   unto  him, 

31  preaching  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  teaching  the  things 

ground,  but  we  must  not  be  discouraged  if  some  doea  not  take  root.  The  Gospel  is  a 
savour  fn-m  death  unto  death  to  some,  from  life  unto  life  to  others  (2  Cor.  2:  16). 
— Unbelief  is  caused  by  a  resolution  not  to  see  (vers.  26,  27).  He  who  closes  his  eyes  to 
evidence  is  inexcusable  for  not  seeing  Christ.  '  If  any  man  willeth  to  do  God's  will, 
he  shall  know  of  the  teaching  whether  it  beof  God  or  whether  I  speak  from  myself' 
(John  7 :  17),  said  Christ. 

Paul's  Captivity  at  Rome,  vers.  30,  31. 

Ver.  30.  He  abode  two  whole  years  in  his  own  hired 
dwelling..  All  this  time  the  Apostle  was  a  prisoner  of  state.  The  ex- 
penses incurred  were  no  doubt  defrayed  by  friends  at  Rome  and  in  the 
provinces  (see  Phil.  4 :  10-14,  one  of  the  Epistles  written  during  this 
imprisonment  at  Rome).  Paul  was,  during  the  day,  chained  to  a  sol- 
dier, and  probably  in  the  night  two  soldiers  watched  him,  according  to 
the  sentence  of  the  Roman  law,  wox  custodiani  geminat.  AVe  possess 
four  of  his  writings  composed  while  in  prison  at  Rome — the  Epistles 
to  the  Ephesians,  Colossians,  and  Philippians,  and  the  short  letter  to 
Philemon.  From  notices  in  these^ritings,  we  learn  that  Luke,  Timothy, 
Epaphras,  Mark,  Aristarchus,  and  Tychicus  were  among  the  friends 
who,  during  the  whole  or  part  of  this  time,  were  with  the  Apostle. 

Ver.  31.  None  forbidding  him.  Literally,  without  hindrance. 
Thus  fiir  the  imperial  authorities  were  disposed  to  show  all  toleration 
to  the  disciples  of  the  new  faith.  They  probably  looked  upon  the 
'  Christians'  as  a  sect  of  Jews  harmless  in  themselves.  *But  it  is  doubt- 
ful whether  the  Christians  were  sufficiently  numerous  at  this  time  to 
create  a  ripple  in  the  life  of  the  populous  and  active  city  of  Rome ;  or, 
if  so,  they  were  still  probably  regarded  only  as  Jews.  Paul's  treat- 
ment was  very  different  from  Avhat  he  had  received  in  many  cities  of 
Asia  Minor  and  Greece,  not  to  speak  of  Jerusalem,  where  he  had  been 
stoned,  or  expelled  by  the  bitter  jealousy  of  the  Jews  and  the  officials. 
This  was  all  the  more  noticeable  as  he  was  a  prisoner,  and  preached 
the  kingdom  of  God  in  a  city  where  the  empire  of  the  world  had  its 
proudest  centre.  This  abrupt  termination  of  the  account  of  Paul's  life 
leaves  us  without  any  notice  in  the  New  Testament  of  how  much  longer 
he  lived,  and  how  he  died.  But  we  gather  from  2  Tim.  4 :  7,  8,  that 
(at  this  time  or  perhaps  during  a  second  imprisonment)  he  expected 
martyrdom,  and  looked  forward  to  it  without  fear.  '  I  am  already 
being  offered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure  is  come.  I  have  fought 
the  good  fight,  I  have  finished  the  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith : 
henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  the  crown  of  righteousness, 
which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge,  shall  give  to  me  at  that  day.' 


28:  31. J  ACTS  XXVIII.  419 

concerning  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  with  all  boldness, 
none  forbidding  him. 

The  reasons  for  Luke's  stopping  at  this  point  may  only  be  surmised. 
Perhaps  he  was  suddenly  interrupted,  and  never  found  an  opportunity 
afterwards  of  resuming  his  history.  The  persecution  of  Nero  occurred 
in  64,  and,  if  Luke  wrote  in  Rome,  would  have  arrested  him  in 
the  midst  of  his  woi-k.  Perhaps  some  circumstance  intervened  as  he 
was  writing  the  last  chapter  which  assured  him  he  would  not  be  able 
to  continue  the  history  of  Paul,  and  for  this  reason  he  gave  the  com- 
prehensive conclusion  in  the  few  words  of  the  last  two  verses.  It  may 
be  that  Theophilus,  to  whom  he  addressed  the  composition  (Acts  1:1), 
was  conversant  with  the  rest  of  Paul's  history.  It  may  also  be  that 
Luke  deliberately  thought  this  was  an  excellent  time  to  close,  or,  as 
Bengel  very  sententiously  says,  '  Rome,  the  apex  of  the  Gospel  and 
the  close  of  the  Acts  !' 

*  Peactical  Notes.  The  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  in  Eome  to  every  one  that 
believ-th  (Rom.  1 :  16),  as  in  Athens  the  -wisdom  of  God  to  every  one  that  repented 
(Acts  17:  30). — Paul  arrived  at  Kome  !  When  Hannibal,  the  Carthaginian  general, 
arrived  in  Italy,  the  hushed  whisper  went  around  the  city,  '  Hannibal  is  before  the 
gates!'  (ante  portas).  He  arrived  as  a  conqueror.  When  Paul  approached  the  city, 
there  was  no  great  stir.  Only  a  small  obscure  company  sent  out  a  delegation  to  meet 
him,  but  a  friendly  one  (ver.  14).  Paul  arrived  a  prisoner.  But  he  helped  to  found 
without  sword  an  empire  in  Rome  more  powerful  than  the  empire  of  the  Caesars,  and 
one  that  has  outlived  it. — Paul  i)reached  tbe  kingdom  of  God  in  Rome  (ver.  30).  It  is 
fitting  that  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  which  began  with  an  account  of  the  preaching  of 
the  kingdom  (Acts  I:  3)  should  close  with  it.  Paul  did  not  think  of  establishing  a 
kingdom  to  supersede  the  Roman  empire  but  a  kingdom  which  should  sway  men's 
hearts  and  rule  their  lives,  a  kingdom  of  righteousness,  peace  and  joy.  Its  weapons 
were  not  legions  armed  with  axe  and  sword,  but  simple  words  tempered  with  love 
and  gentleness,  and  telling  the  story  of  Christ  crucified  and  risen  again. — Paul  was  the 
advocate  of  an  unknown  or  despised  cause  before  a  proud  city,  but  he  was  not  ashamed 
of  the  Gospel  (Rom.  1 :  16),  and  before  a  city  glorying  in  its  power  and  given  to  vicf, 
he  preached  the  kingdom  of  God  with  '  with  boldness  and  confidence.' — There  is  a 
sharp  and  suggestive  contrast  between  Paul  preaching  and  Nero  pleasuring.  The 
first  was  chained  yet  inspired  many  with  new  hopes  and  virtue,  and  the  other  ruled 
as  emperor  and  yet  destroyed  the  homes  and  happiness  of  many.  Paul  the  prisoner 
was  a  truer  ruler  than  Nero  the  emperor.  He  gained  the  empire  over  his  own  heart 
and  self.  Nero  was  in  slavery  to  his  passions  and  whims. — Paul's  death  is  not  dwelt 
on,  not  even  mentioned  ia  the  New  Testament.  Such  is  also  the  case  with  Peter  and 
John.  This  may  show  us  that  a  man's  manner  of  life  is  of  more  importance  than  the 
manner  of  his  death.  The  thief  was  converted  in  his  dying  moments.  The  Apostles 
lired  Christian  lives.  It  mattered  little  how  they  died  or  where.  Christ's  death  is 
told  at  great  length  because  it  atones  for  sin.  The  death  of  the  Apostles  had  no  such 
power.  Their  power  rested  in  their  lives. — There  is  only  one  shrine  which  is 
sacred— Calvary.  Holy  Writ  does  not  tell  where  the  Apostles  died.  It  might  be  in- 
teresting to  know  where  their  graves  are  but  in  that  case  we  might  make  pilgrimages 
to  them  or  worship  their  bones,  which  the  Church  of  Rome,  in  the  plain  face  of 


420  ACTS  XXVIII.  [28:31. 

Scripture  does.— Is  Paul  still  a  prisoner  at  Rome  ?  Are  the  last  words  of  the  Acts 
still  true,  'None  forbidding  him  '  to  preach  Christ?— A  great  lesson  of  the  Acts  ot 
the  Apostles,  The  kingdoms  of  this  world  shall  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and 
of  his  Christ. 

Excursus  on  thb  Last  Years  of  Paul.— The  Acts  come  to  an  end  with  Paul's 
imprisonment  at  Rome,  which  began  in  March  (see  Acts  28 :  11)  a.  d.  61.  For  the 
subsequent  events  of  his  life  we  are  left  to  what  may  be  inferred  from  Paul's  Epistles 
to  the  Ephesians,  Philippians,  Colossians,  and  the  Pastoral  Epistles,  and  to  the  testi- 
monies of  non  biblical  writers.  By  the  aid  of  these  sources  many  have  drawn  the 
conclusion  that  Paul  was  liberated  from  this  imprisonment  and  was  arrested  again, 
and  brought  to  trial  at  Rome,  where  be  suffered  martyrdom.  Others,  however,  deny 
that  Paul  was  imprisoned  a  second  time.  It  appears  from  Phil.  1 :  25 ;  2 :  23,  24,  that 
Paul  himself  had  a  hope,  amounting  to  an  expectation,  that  be  would  be  released  from 
the  confinement  in  which  the  last  chapter  of  the  Acts  leaves  him.  [It  may  also  be 
said  that  the  contents  of  the  first  and  second  Epistles  to  Timothy  indicate  a  state  of 
the  Church,  and  bring  forward  facts  in  Paul's  life  which  make  it  almost  indispensable 
to  suppose  that  Paul  was  imprisoned  a  second  time,  if  we  are  to  hold  firm  to  the  view 
that  Paul  wrote  the  second  Epistle  himself].  As  regards  the  testimony  of  the  early 
Church  writers,  they  certify  that  Paul's  appeal  to  Caisar  (Acts  25  :  11)  terminated,  after 
a  long  delay,  successfully  for  the  prisoner.  The  delay  was  quite  in  accordance  with 
the  ordinary  course  of  Roman  law,  which  allowed  ample  time  for  the  bringing  to- 
gether of  witnesses  and  evidence  from  a  distance.  The  Apostle  appears  to  have  been 
liberated  a.  d.  63,  and  for  some  years  more  labored  earnestly  in  various  lands.  In  66 
be  was  again  arrested  by  the  Roman  government,  conveyed  to  Rome,  and  there  exe- 
cuted 67-08. 

The  principal  evidence  for  these  facts  is  found  in  the  Epistle  of  Clement  of  Rome, 
the  disciple  of  Paul  (Phil.  4:  3),  to  the  Romans,  written  in  the  last  year  of  the  first 
century.  '  He,  Paul  had  gone  to  the  extremily  of  the  West  before  his  martyrdom.'  In 
a  Roman  writer  the  'extremity  of  the  West'  could  only  signify  Spain,  whither 
long  before  he  had  desired  to  go  (Rom.  15 :  24),  and  we  know  in  that  portion 
of  his  life  related  in  the  Acts  he  had  never  journeyed  farther  west  than  Italy. 
In  the  fragments  of  the  Canon  of  Muratori  (a.  d.  170)  we  read  in  the  account  of 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  :  '  Luke  relates  to  Theophilus  events  of  which  he  was  an  eye- 
witness ;  as  also  in  a  separate  place  (Luke  22:  31-33),  be  evidently  declares  the  mar- 
tyrdom of  Peter,  but  omits  the  journey  of  Paul  to  Spain.'  Eusebius,  the  Church  his- 
torian, ( H.  E.  ii.  22,  A.  D.  320)  writes :  '  After  defending  himself  successfully,  it  is  currently 
reported  that  the  Apostle  again  went  forth  to  proclaim  the  Gospel,  and  afterwards  came 
to  Ri'me  a  second  time,  and  was  martyred  under  Nero.  Chrysostom  (398)  mentions  as 
an  undoubted  fact,  '  that  Paul,  after  his  residence  in  Rome,  departed  to  Spain.'  Jer- 
ome (Acts  11:  20),  also  relates  'that  Paul  was  dismissed  by  Nero,  that  he  might 
preach  Christ's  Gospel  in  the  West.'  Following  these  different  writers,  we  conclude 
that  Paul  was  liberated  in  the  year  63,  and  then,  leaving  Rome,  went  to  Spain.  From 
the  far  West,  somewhere  about  the  years  65-67,  he  returned  nnd  visited  once  more 
the  Greek  and  Asiatic  churches.  It  was  in  the  city  of  Nicopolis  in  Epirus,  that 
the  Apostle  was  again  arrested,  and  once  more  brought  to  Rome  as  a  state  prisoner. 
While  awaiting  his  final  trial  he  wrote  the  second  letter  to  his  dear  disciple  Timothy. 
He  entered  into  eternal  rest  that  same  year,  67. 


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Date  Due 


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2  4  •■■ 


'i^-^^'i 


